The Road Back Home
by alejandrathemexican
Summary: Hinata ran away from her home in Wave and her father is now in the chase. Naruto doesn't know what to do with his life now that he's graduated high school and can't afford college. Sakura is a med student in Suna and still hopes to find Sasuke. A new mystery emerges in the hacking of the Byakugan and the fall of the Hyugas. TRIGGER WARNING for reference of sexual assault and abuse.
1. It was already midnight

It was already midnight, and the diner had closed an hour ago already, but as always, he and the other cleaning staff had to stay behind to fix it up for next morning's shift. An hour later, Naruto groaned as his back creaked. He felt rather than heard the small cracks that spread constantly from his fingers to his shoulders as he stretched. He grunted a goodbye to Genma, the guy that locked up the restaurant, when he clocked out, and left the diner. The light from the streetlamp down the back alley laid on the damp tarmac like small light orange pearls as Naruto passed through to the main street. He stuffed his hands in his pockets. He opened his eyes to make sure he was not about to crash into something when suddenly, he met a scene straight from his nightmares. It was a girl with extremely long, black and dripping wet hair sticking to her back, and she was _crying_. He could hear her sniffing from where he was standing. Naruto contained the terrified scream he almost let out at her sight.

Naruto's heart started to beat wildly. He didn't want to die yet! He threw himself into the deepest bow he knew how to make, with his forehead touching the wet floor.

"Please forgive me, Sadako-sama!" Naruto yelled the loudest he could to make sure the vengeful spirit listened "I-I-I-I-I'll make a copy of your tape!" He grit his teeth desperately, waiting for the ghost's answer… maybe she'd let him live…?

"T-tape?"

He didn't expect the wavering sweet voice of a girl. Naruto raised his head from the floor, and got up, his mind puzzled, wiping away the water dripping from his forehead. His heart still beating faster than it normally did.

The girl wiped her nose with the back of her hand and stared at it before wiping it on her clothes as discreetly as she could, her eyes and cheeks red and, Naruto noticed, her other hand holding the handle of a large suitcase. The girl hid her dirty hand behind her body, embarrassed.

"I-I'm sorry. You're confusing me with so-someone else."

 _Oh…_ "You're not a ghost, then, are you?" The girl shook her head. Naruto started to laugh nervously, scratching the back of his neck with his right hand. "I see…!" Naruto looked at her again.

The girl sniffed again and looked to the employer's entrance, several thoughts going through her eyes at once. She looked at the floor. "E-Excuse me… By any chance, is Haruno Sakura working today?"

Naruto hummed thoughtfully, sticking his hands back into his pockets. "You're a friend of Sakura-chan's…" The girl turned her hopeful, light lavender eyes to him. "Didn't you know she moved out of Konoha when we graduated this spring?"

His only answer was silence, and, in the darkness that enveloped him, Naruto wondered if the girl would then leave, disappointed, until he heard sniffing.

"Hey… you…" He scratched the back of his neck. _Man…_ "Listen, just come with me."

He didn't wait for an answer before he started walking forward, but when they left the alley, the sound of a suitcase's wheels rolling on the pavement was following him like a dog's tail.

An electronic bell bleeped as the doors slid open for them. The sleepy clerk raised his head sloppily, like it could fall off his neck at any second. Naruto turned around to see if the girl had not run away yet. The fluorescent light bathed her, her black hair shiny and damp, her straight bangs sticking to her forehead, and her eyes white with a hint of lavender. Suddenly, he felt as if they had entered an alternate dimension. He could see now she was wearing a deep purple coat, pajama pants, and fluffy slippers. Not at all typhoon season appropriate clothes.

Naruto swallowed. He adjusted his uniform shirt's collar nervously as he attempted to count the money he had left from the day with his mind. _Maybe_ he could manage to buy two soft drinks, but only that. If he did, he would have to walk home. _But…_ The girl was _crying_ , and all he knew about comforting sad people was what he had been taught himself. He wanted to cheer that girl up, so he would need to treat her to something. A soft drink was all he could afford. _Yes._ He strode through the aisles, turning his head once in a while to see if the girl was still there. She was.

She kept shifting her weight from foot to foot, and wiping the hair away from her face. She stared at him keenly, as if she was trying to drink in every detail she could make out. Her eyes were curious and also very confused. He flushed and went on to pay for the drinks. The clerk handed Naruto the change, barely hiding his contempt for the world, throwing him a withering stare.

He smiled at the clerk nervously, thanking him, but hurrying the girl out before he exited the store as well. They walked along the street until they reached a park. The trees were tall and their foliage was thick, but the lamps were well spaced enough, and they burned white in the night, like stars lighting the paths.

Naruto plopped down on the bench, sighing with contentment. He offered one of the peach-colored cans to the girl. She took the drink silently, and sat down carefully next to him. A soft hiss later, he gulped some of the peach and watermelon soda.

"Sakura-chan was accepted in a university in Wind. The Royal University of Suna," He moved his hand around, spilling his soda carelessly "or some fancy shit like that. In the med program." He took another swig "How do you know Sakura-chan, anyway?" He eyed the girl's suitcase, and then he eyed the girl herself "You seem familiar somehow"

The girl stared at the streets stretching before her mournfully "I used to live here. A long time ago, actually" She tightened her grasp on the suitcase's handle, absentminded. "I moved in the middle of primary school to Wave, but Sakura-san and I kept in contact until a year ago." She turned her pale lavender eyes on him "By any chance, were you a student of Konoha Academy?"

The boy smiled brightly, happy thoughts of the friendships he had continued to form since primary school coming to his mind. "I am, yeah!"

She smiled, relief raining down her face almost visibly. "I thought you were familiar. I was a student there, too. My name is Hyuuga Hinata, from class 1"

"I'm class 2's Uzumaki Naruto!" he extended his hand towards her, almost punching her on the side in the process "Nice to meet you again, classmate!"

The girl, Hinata, shook his hand merrily, her face almost too warm, but the moment quickly passed. Now she wasn't quite sure what to do…

"I've inconvenienced you enough, Uzumaki-san" She peeked at him "I flew here so suddenly, and I show up at Sakura-san's workplace, but instead I find you, and I have given you so much trouble…" She got up reluctantly and glanced at the familiar stranger and bowed, hoping her hair would hide her flaming face. "Thank you, and I'm sorry for the inconvenience." Then she turned around and shifted away from him, her suitcase rolling behind her.

As Naruto watched her and her dark hair leave, he felt the smallest pull in his heart, and he struggled, his mind and his gut following completely different directions. He felt as if the battle was becoming more violent with every second he didn't choose to either stay and let her leave, or to run after her and ask if she was really okay. What had made this girl travel all the way from Wave to Fire when she hadn't even contacted Sakura-chan for a long time?

Probably something not nice. Probably something dangerous! _No._ He _had_ to run after her. Make sure she made it okay to wherever she was going. So he shot up from the bench.

The can of the peach and watermelon soda soon laid forgotten in the concrete next to Naruto's wallet.

* * *

Edit: Changed some of the wording.

Thank you for your reviews!


	2. Long distance friendships

Hinata woke up to the feeling of a headache and the sluggishness of a cold. She had just managed to ditch her slippers and her coat before passing out completely, and she wondered whether she had walked there on her own, or if she had to have been carried through the living room to the bed she was currently sitting on. Rays of light filtered through the shutters, some floating dust being revealed in the beams. She heard voices somewhere… That's right! Uzumaki-san had caught up to her last night, asked if she had somewhere to go, and she had accepted his offer of staying over until he could contact Sakura-san for her. Hinata followed the voices until she was outside the other bedroom, her fingertips brushing against the dark wood. The voices were clearer now.

" _-but she didn't tell you why she was looking for me?_ " It was Sakura-chan's voice, but it sounded a little distorted, like they were on the phone.

"I _told_ you! She was crying her eyes out! And then she fell asleep." Hinata heard a squeak, like that of the springs of a bed, and then she heard Uzumaki-san sigh and say: "Hey, do you want me to call you when she's awake?"

" _Yes, please… Listen, Hinata's not a weird person, so there's no need to be en garde, okay?"_

Naruto laughed "I don't even know what that means, but sure!"

" _All I'm saying is, I'm worried about her, so please treat her well."_

"You got it! I'll call you back when she's awake"

" _Thanks, Naruto! ... Listen… I heard something…"_

"As in a robber? Call the cops! Hang up so you can call the cops!"

" _Not a robber, you idiot! About Sasuke-kun…"_

"Oh…"

Hinata noticed the silence, and decided to shift away to the bedroom she had awoken into. She already felt bad she was listening at the door, but the conversation was turning to a matter that didn't concern her and she didn't want to be ruder than she'd already been. She guessed Uzumaki-san would search for her when he was done, so while she waited, she decided to examine what she had brought with her. It had all been so sudden, she didn't even know what she had taken.

She wondered if her uncle was alright. After all, he would be the one to take the blame. He had bought all the plane tickets, and called her at her dorm room. Hinata felt guilty about it all, even though running away hadn't even been her plan anyway, but her uncle's. How was everything back in Wave…? Her cousin Neji, who had known and approved… And her sister, Hanabi, what would her reaction be? Would she be glad Hinata had left? Or would she be sad?

Her father would be angry, after all, all the plans he had for Hinata were now ruined.

She had hated to disappoint her father, and at that time, sitting in Uzumaki Naruto's apartment, there was a part of her that hated herself for the inconveniences she was giving to her father. She had been kicked out. The other side of her reveled. The other side of her would not go back. The other side of her knew that her uncle had forced her out of the country for her own good.

Hinata still didn't know whether to thank him or be angry at him. Not that she could contact him anyway, but…

A knock on the door distracted her.

"Hinata, right?" It was Uzumaki-san, and he was smiling at her. Hinata nodded, and Naruto presented her with a phone "I've got someone who wants to talk to you"

He approached her and handed her the phone. It was already making a call to Sakura-san. Sakura answered in less than five seconds. Her face showed up in the phone's screen, and Hinata's did as well, on a small square in a corner.

" _Oh! It's really you, Hinata!"_ Sakura sounded so relieved, and so happy to see her, it brought tears to Hinata's pale lavender eyes.

Naruto waved at Hinata goodbye and disappeared through the door. Hinata's eyes followed him and then returned to the phone's screen.

"Sakura-san! I'm so sorry for all of this," Hinata teared up. "I've disturbed you and your boyfriend."

Sakura covered her mouth with her hand, and then let out a huge cackle _"Oh!"_ She brushed her pink hair back with her fingers. _"Oh, dear! Not at all! We're just old friends, I'd told you about him, I think. Oh gosh! Hinata! No."_ She kept laughing until it died down with a sigh. Hinata wiped her tears away. Sakura's smile became a line, and her forehead scrunched up with worry _"But, Hinata, I think we should talk about many things. The last I heard of you, you were entering the early graduation program and into the school of business of Wave."_ Hinata could hear the real question Sakura was asking. _What are you doing in Konoha?_

Hinata laid down on the bed, holding the phone above her so she could see Sakura's face clearly. "I did. I was in business school. I ran away"

" _Oh, Hinata…"_

"My uncle spirited me away from Wave yesterday, told me to take only what I needed and that cousin Neji would pick me up."

" _Did he tell you where you would stay, anything?"_ Sakura's voice was incredulous.

"My uncle bought many plane tickets, told me to pick one of them. Then he sent me a debit card with cousin Neji, said he would deposit money on that account." Hinata shut her eyes to try and fail to contain her tears.

Sakura's soft voice made her open her eyes. _"Hey… It's okay, Hinata. It'll be okay."_

"I- I'm sorry I stopped talking to you! M-my father isolated me when I wasn't in school, and when I was, he had me followed." Hinata gasped for breath between crying and talking. "I was surprised there was no one around yesterday, but now I know my uncle sent them away…"

" _I'm not surprised, with what I knew he wanted for you. I'm only surprised I didn't think of that sooner… If I had known…!"_

They talked for another half hour, until Sakura had to run to her Saturday afternoon practical class.

Hinata wiped her face away with the sleeve of her pajama top and went out to find Uzumaki-san. He was sitting in the living room, head thrown back, staring at the ceiling, blond hair hanging, and feet on the coffee table. He perked up when he heard her come into the room. She sat on the chair opposite to the couch he'd sat in, and returned his phone with a 'thank you' and a small, soft smile.

When he sat upright, almost yelled back a 'no probs!', and smiled widely back at her, she feelt like his smile was the brightest thing she'd seen in her whole life.

* * *

EDIT 30/05/16

Changed the tense in the last two paragraphs! sorry, I'm writing my book in present tense and i get mixed up in some parts.


	3. Money

Naruto watched as Hinata pulled her suitcase past him back to the entrance, his feet sticking to the wooden floor. Her eyes seemed somewhere else. She pushed her hair back behind her ear slowly, and sluggishly took notice of him. She smiled at him gently, and her eyes shone with a feeling he could not make out. She clasped her hands in front of her as she made to bow yet again.

He interrupted her words before they made it out of her mouth, "Do you have to go?" He saw her shoulders slump. He watched her worriedly. "Hey…" Her eyes returned to him. He tried to give Hinata a calming smile. "It's okay. Do you have somewhere to go?"

Hinata smiled dejectedly, the corners of her mouth raising uncertainly, her brows furrowed. She shook her head. "I already feel like a burden to you," she said in a soft voice. She turned to leave, but she felt a hand close lightly around her wrist.

"Why don't you stay here?" He felt heat flowing to his cheeks. He stuttered, "I m-mean, you're Sakura-chan's friend, and I need a roommate to keep the apartment, so I'm sure it's okay, right?" He let out a short, nervy laugh, his voice flaky.

She gave him a sad smile. "Uzumaki-san is too nice, but until I get some money I'll only be a burden."

Naruto pouted. He had almost resigned himself to letting Sakura's friend go, when the girl turned around with her eyes wide open, her stance tense.

"Uzumaki-san… may I be a burden a little longer?"

* * *

Her fingers sifted through the wad of cash in the white envelope. Naruto watched her hands move steadily, and her lips counting in silence.

"I don't really get it; you know?" He scratched the back of his neck. "Why did you say you have no money if we're here?"

Hinata fidgeted in her seat. "Maybe I shouldn't have bothered you with this…" She whispered, and put back the money in the envelope. She put the envelope in her small white bag, her eyes turning to his. "I wasn't sure it was still there…"

He swallowed the sip of still too hot coffee and tried not to choke as he shot her a puzzled look. Hinata smiled at his clumsiness. She turned her head to examine the coffee shop. When she was satisfied with what she saw, she leaned in in Naruto's direction and spoke with a volume short of a whisper. "Yesterday I ran away from home with the help of my uncle."

Naruto stared at her with wide eyes. "Were you in danger?" She nodded once, to agree. He nodded twice, to urge her on.

She felt heat rushing to her face, and a knot forming in her throat, her eyes burning. "If my father was looking for me, he might have had my account closed. I would have been destitute." She shoved her hand in her bag and retrieved her black leather wallet and showed Naruto a debit card. "Even if my uncle gave me this, I don't think he'll be able to send me money just yet…" Hinata looked around once more, and then sat up straight. "Things must be hard for him right now…"

"Hey." He interrupted her from her thoughts. He extended his hand, holding the fork with a little of chocolate cake on it. Her whole face heated. His smile became wider. He offered the fork until she sunk her teeth on the cake. Naruto looked at her chew. "You're okay now. That's good, you know?" His voice was warm and comforting.

* * *

" _He's not… the brightest guy, that's for sure… But Naruto isn't a bad person."_

Hinata rolled around in the spare room's bed in Naruto's apartment. She held her new phone next to her ear. "Well… without him, I wouldn't have found you…" She felt heat in her face. "He's a really nice person…"

" _Oooh…!"_ Teased Sakura _"love at first sight then?"_

Hinata yelped "I-It's not like that!" When she heard Sakura laugh, Hinata smiled "You're teasing me!" She and Sakura giggled together.

" _So you're gonna be his roommate?"_

"He's your good friend, so I thought it would be alright even if it's just him and me…" Hinata sat up, a little bit alarmed "Is it not alright?! I don't remember many things from the way we lived here, but my father would think it scandalous…"

Sakura sighed _"Which is why he'll never think of you living with a guy."_

Hinata cupped her cheek with her free hand, her face red, and her voice wavering "When you say it like that, Sakura-san, it does sound pretty scandalous."

She heard Sakura's laugh from the other side of the line. Her voice was cheery _"Relax! Where is Naruto anyway? Maybe in Ichiraku's?"_

Hinata let out the breath she was holding in an attempt to ease her heart. "He left after we got back from the bank, he said he had an afternoon shift."

" _Right. Then he won't be in until late at night… Hey, Hinata!"_

"Yes, Sakura-san!"

There was a brief silence, but then Sakura spoke again _"Never mind! I'll just text him!... But that's neither here nor there. Hinata, I think you should try to contact your cousin!"_

Hinata sighed and then laid back down on the bed. " _Yes…"_

* * *

Back in Wave, a young man with long black hair sat with his father in a booth of a family restaurant in the edge of the city. The noise served to cover their conversation, and it was much easier to see who was around them. The Hyuuga are always aware of their surroundings. After all, that's what they're all about; a corporation whose primary business is security systems.

The older man, one of two brothers spoke slowly, but with such a strength and determination, he could have been confused with his older twin. "You know which ticket she picked."

"Yes, dad." Answered the Neji, the younger man. His eyes always stuck to the people in the restaurant. "She went where she thought she would."

Hizashi, the older man gave a short laugh. "Good. My brother does not know his own daughter. He will believe she went as far as she could go. But we knew better, didn't we, Neji?" He snuck a peek at his son. Hizashi's smile vanished. "Don't worry. We'll find her soon; see where she's at. For now, she has the money in her student's account. If she's smart, she'll withdraw all of it and close the account."

Neji gave a searching look to his father, and nodded slowly.

The silence that followed was drowned by the noise of the families in the restaurant.

* * *

Hello everyone! I'm sorry i've been so slow with updates, but i'm this is my final month of this semester, and things are getting pretty hectic! Also i'm trying to figure out how to pay for my tickets to south korea :/ Anyway! here you have chapter 3. Here we have the first scene with neither Hinata nor Naruto in it, which i thought was a nice change. Hinata just got away from a really bad situation thanks to her uncle and cousin, and she needs to stay off the radar. Hizashi too, because Hiashi might be monitoring his activities, and those activities might lead to Hinata, so he's trying to figure out how to help her without giving her away.

I decided to answer reviews from the first chapter and the last in here! at least those from guests. Thank you for reading! I'm already writing next chapter.

 **Guest chapter 1 . May 19**

 **Not bad, very detailed for just a one shot.**

Thank you! as you can see, it's no longer a one shot

 **Guest chapter 2 . May 23**

 **So this will be more like a road trip type story?**

Perhaps not a literal road trip, but a more spiritual one? anyway, hopefully you'll see what i mean by this later in the story

_ Thank you for your reviews, It's very encouraging to read them. I'll answer reviews from people with accounts through PM


	4. Cold pancakes

"Check again." A middle-aged man spoke firmly. His eyes scanning the mass of ant-sized-looking people assembling down on the street on their way to work or school, his reflection slightly transparent in the window of his office. With his hands clasped to one another in his back, he turned to face the slightly younger man cowering on the other side of his desk.

"Hiashi-sama…" Kou trembled, "We have already put it down in our report. Young lady Hinata's passport was used to enter the Fire country a few days ago"

Hiashi narrowed his eyes. "Her student account in GSC; has it been accessed?"

Kou fumbled turning the pages in the binder he had prepared so carefully. "Err… yes. Yes, Hiashi-sama. Three days ago." He released one of the papers in the binder and offered it to Hiashi respectfully. "In Tanigakure, in River."

The older man unhurriedly took the sheet from Kou's shaking hand. He examined the paper briefly, and turned it around to see if there was more information on the back of Hinata's bank account report. When he was satisfied with what he found, he returned the sheet to Kou, and sat down in his desk chair slowly.

He turned his eyes to the younger man. "She's moving." He tapped the fingers of his right hand on the cold glass surface of his desk thoughtfully. After a few uncomfortable moments for Kou, Hiashi paused and looked at him again. "My daughter's only friend lived in Konoha a couple of years ago. She'll be much easier to locate."

He gulped when he received Hiashi's stern stare. Kou took out his corporate-issued tablet and prepared to type. "Her name, Hiashi-sama?"

"Haruno. They were classmates in elementary." Hiashi gave an unsatisfied sigh. "I assume that's enough information for you?"

Kou tried to swallow his fear, but failed, and nervously bowed and left in a hurry.

A vigilant almost white eye watched Kou leave. Once he was gone, Hiashi pressed a button in the phone in his office. He waited silently, until a very pulled-together woman walked in through the heavy dark wooden doors of his office. She bowed and listened patiently for her orders.

"Find my brother."

The woman nodded, bowed again to her employer, and walked back out again wordlessly.

There was something he needed to talk to Hizashi about.

* * *

The day Neji had shown up at her dorm, told her to pack her things, had ushered her into a hoodie and then guided her to a limousine, where he had then handed her a phone with an active call from her uncle had been a very unpleasant day, but had also been the day when everything had started to change. The universe had begun working on her favor the day she had met Uzumaki Naruto-kun. She would at least acknowledge this out loud in the future. But right now, Hyuuga Hinata was not speaking. She was making breakfast. Pancakes, to be exact. Uzumaki-san didn't have much in his pantry (or fridge) that she could work with, the recipes in Wave too different.

She glanced at the box of pancake mix sitting almost empty in the counter. Well, at least she could follow instructions. Even in Konoha, the pancakes were different; the ones in Wave less thick, and with water instead of milk. Hinata picked up the last pancake with her spatula, and let it drop on top of the large stack sitting in a large plate. She looked at the clock: 5 am. In Wave, everyone would already be on the way to work, the day starting early and ending early as well. In Konoha, though, people seemed to love sleeping in, the streets deserted at that time. Uzumaki-san was not even awake yet, and, as he had told her the night before, he had to leave for work at 8 am at the latest.

" _They sure live a chill life, here in Konoha."_ She thought. Her eyes turned to her shiny new phone, sitting on the counter, and she smiled. She knew she'd get a message from Sakura-san around 6, before Sakura left for her morning classes.

She covered the pancakes with aluminum foil, hoping they would retain some of its heat. She scrubbed the pan and the mixing bowl, and sat down on the chair, resting her head on the dinner table.

 _Hanabi… Neji…_

It had been four months since she had seen her little sister, and four days since she had seen her cousin, Neji. She missed them so much; when she thought of them, she could hardly breathe. How could she leave them behind?

When Hinata woke up again, it was to the sound of someone chewing. She sat up straight so fast, she startled the person sitting across from her in the dining table.

After the heart attack she nearly gave him when she suddenly sat up, Naruto had to laugh, honestly, he _had_ to. She looked so disoriented, she hadn't even noticed the few strands of hair sticking to her cheek, nor the crusty trail from her lips.

And let's be real, she looked so mortified, it was just too cute. While she ran off to wash her face, Naruto grabbed another pancake from the stack he had found sitting on the dining table. By the time Hinata returned, he was already half-way through the stack of pancakes.

Hinata gasped, and tried to snatch his plate from under his nose. "I was going to he-heat those!"

But Naruto was already eating the last bit on his plate. "It's good like this, Hinata!" He said, the cheerfulness filling his voice. "Besides," He said, pointing to the round clock on the wall "It's already seven and forty, so there's no time" He was already wearing his work uniform.

She watched him sneak another pancake onto his plate. Her voice was slightly lower than the first time she had spoken "I'm s-sorry breakfast was so disappointing…" She placed her balled-up hands on her lap.

He laughed, and loudly. "Why would ya think that? If you weren't here, my breakfast would be instant ramen!" He nodded towards the open cabinet doors, where a few boxes of instant ramen could be seen. "It's all I could afford, and it's less trouble to cook it by myself." He stood up, carrying his plate. He scrubbed at it with a sponge, before rinsing and putting it on the drying rack.

Naruto turned around to face her. Her mouth was slightly open, and her eyes slightly suspecting him, he knew. There was a redness to her cheeks. Maybe he had embarrassed her? Maybe bringing up money was not a good thing in Wave. He felt heat creeping up the back of his neck, and face. He shot her a bright smile in the hopes it would smooth over the awkward moment. He looked at the clock.

" _Shit!_ "

Hinata startled. Naruto sprinted to grab his bag from its spot on the coat hanger by the entryway, and slipping on his favorite white sneakers. "Hey, Hinata! Have you seen my wallet? Orange, with a picture of a fox. I wrote my name with a marker on the back"

"You can't find it?" He heard soft, hurried steps behind him.

"Nope. I'm getting worried, though!" He sighed. He did need to pay more attention to his stuff. He would from then on.

"I'll walk out with you!" Her voice was urgent. She was already stepping into her shoes

He readjusted his bag as he considered her for a few moments. "Won't you get lost?"

She smiled sweetly at him, before slightly raising the phone she was holding with both hands to eye-level. "GPS!"

Naruto smiled brilliantly at her before stepping out into their floor's aisle. He gave Hinata his key to the apartment before they stepped briskly down the stairs.

When they reached the doors to the building, Naruto called out to her, his voice trembling "I'll be leaving now, I'll come back later!"

She smiled at him warmly "Please do!"

Even though he ran all the way to work, was still late, got scolded, and they had a series of bad customers with outrageous orders, he was wearing the shiniest smile he'd given in a long time.

* * *

260616

So...! I'm back. Sorry i took so long; finals and all that stuff was really bringing me down. Today we get a sneak peak of Hiashi's actions after Hinata ran away. Originally I had planned to write from Neji's perspective, but when i was actually writing it it all changed. Hinata and Naruto are cute, okay? I had to write them! they're the reason i'm writing this. I'm thinking of writing something from Sakura's point of view. I feel like we're lacking some Sakura lately.

Let me know what you think?


	5. Strangers

She hadn't found it… When she had left the apartment that morning, she had tried hard to go back to the places she thought Uzumaki-san might have gone to in the past few days. It was noon already, but she hadn't been able to find his wallet… She felt a shard of guilt poke her in the side. She had been the one to drag Uzumaki-san around town for the last five days, and he might have lost his wallet because of her. Hinata would look in the apartment, but Uzumaki-san had said when they ran downstairs that it wasn't in the house. In the end, she had been forced to go back because of the rain.

Hinata watched the little dot on her phone's GPS app blink and move steadily through the route it had traced to go back to the apartment building. That day's early morning peace was gone, with people rushing to and from by Hinata's sides, some bumping into her, and apologizing, bowing, and leaving in a hurry. Hinata always smiled back and apologized back to them.

Not even when she got to the apartment building was she saved from one of these awkward encounters. She had been staring at the rain hit the awning of the hallway outside the apartment, and had turned to enter it when she collided with something.

Or rather, someone. The man was tall; much taller than her. He had dark hair and cold dark eyes, and he was looking at her, his eyes narrowed with annoyance.

She quickly bowed and apologized. The man scowled at her and side stepped her.

Hinata bowed again and slid the key into the lock of the apartment when she felt cold, long fingers grasp the wrist holding the key. Rather painfully.

Hinata gasped and turned to look at her assailant. It was the same man she had bumped into. Maybe he wanted her to make up for inconveniencing him?

The dark-haired man's scowl was still firm in his face. "You live here." He stated, with a matter-of-fact voice.

She squirmed, and the man seemed to notice he was hurting her, and he released her. Hinata let go of the key, leaving it stuck in the lock, and comforted her wrist with her left hand. "Ye-yes." She stared at the small, elongated bruise marks starting in her wrist and moving slightly up her forearm. She turned to face the stranger.

He slipped his hands into the pockets of his jeans, and avoided her eyes in favor of the view out the hallway's windows. "The guy who lived here. Where did he move?" Even though it was a question, his monotone voice betrayed no emotion whatsoever.

Hinata let out the breath she didn't know she was holding in. She let out a small, nervous smile. "If you mean Uzumaki-san, he's not home right now."

The man raised a single eyebrow in response. He took his hands out of his pockets. In his right hand, he was holding something orange and tattered. He offered it to her, still avoiding facing her directly. The smudged ink and the picture of the fox proved it to be the very same thing she had been trying to find all morning.

Hinata received it with both hands, and a big smile. "Thank you so much!" She bowed low to show her gratitude, holding the precious wallet to her chest. "I-if there's anything I can do…!"

He spared her a glance and turned around swiftly, his footsteps echoing slightly in the concrete floor. "Don't tell Naruto you met me."

She straightened up again, letting out an unsuspecting "Eh?"

The dark-haired man stopped. He addressed her without turning around "If Naruto asks where you found it, say it was in a park. That's what I want as thanks." He started walking again. "Bye, Naruto's girl."

Hinata really wanted to say something to clear up the obvious misunderstanding. _Anything!_ Maybe _'It's not like that!_ ' or _'we're just roommates!'_ , but when she got herself together, the man, who was clearly a friend of Uzumaki-san's, was already gone.

* * *

Sakura took shelter from the burning sun in a café near the Royal Palace. The dry heat of the desert had forced her to enter the nearest place with ac an hour ago already, and she didn't look forward to 3 pm, when she'd have to leave that safe haven for the seven blocks she had to walk to get back to her university. She didn't even want to think about that. Instead, she was entertaining her brain looking at the newest messages from her closest friends. The most recent one was from Sakura's lifetime best friend and rival, Ino Yamanaka. Now that there was no Sasuke to fight about, they had become closer.

The next recent one was from Hinata, a rekindled friendship from her childhood. After elementary school, Sakura and Hinata had lost contact until she had friended Hinata in WindWay back in middle school (when she had still been excited about making an account and wanted to friend every acquaintance she might have ever had), and the two had talked constantly for five years since. Then, something weird had happened. Hinata had stopped answering all texts and messages. First, she had believed Hinata was just too busy with finals, and the perfect grades her early graduation program asked of her, so Sakura had just dismissed her own worries. But almost a year passed, and Hinata had still not texted her or called her. No matter how much Sakura looked for her, there was no way to contact her anymore. Her phone was cancelled. Her home line didn't exist anymore, and her account on WindWay had been deactivated. Five days ago, she had shown up again in Sakura's life, through the unexpected method of Naruto.

She stared at the last text from her.

 _ **Sun:**_

 _(Fri: 17:34)_

 _I'm still not sure what he wanted me to do. It involved the Byakugan, but that's all I know. He wanted me to stay put, and try to graduate early. I need to figure out a way to contact uncle. I can't even use my old e-mail._

Sakura started to type a response, when another text showed up in the same thread. It was a picture of an ugly, ratty, orange thing that might have once been a wallet.

 _ **Sun:**_

 _(Today: 13:01)_

 _I found it! He_ _ **had**_ _lost it!_

 _ **Sun:**_

 _(Today: 13:02)_

 _Actually a nice stranger found it and turned it in. It's just he asked me to say I'd found it as thanks._

 _(Today: 13:02)_

 _So there!_

 _(Today: 13:03)_

 _I already told you, so I honored my conscience_ _ **and**_ _the stranger's wishes._

 _ **Sakura (Me):**_

 _(Today: 13:04)_

 _That's so nice! Omg tell me you at least got his info contact to thank him later_

 _ **Sun:**_

 _I didn't! should I have? But he left so suddenly! He said something that distracted me. I thought I'd done something right for once_

 _ **Sakura (Me):**_

 _(Today: 13:05)_

 _Don't think like that. You know it's not true_

 _ **Sun:**_

 _I've been depending on you and Uzumaki-san so much, I don't know how I'll ever repay you both_

 _ **Sakura (Me):**_

 _Naruto sent me a picture of the pancakes, though! Nice repaying technique! I wish I had those_

 _ **Sun:**_

 _(Today: 13:06)_

 _I wish you were here! You know I saw Uzumaki-san again in person before I saw you. Isn't that weird?_

 _ **Sakura (Me):**_

 _Don't worry about it! I'll go visit as soon as I can! I have to, anyway. I want to visit my parents._

 _ **Sakura (Me):**_

 _Even if it's through the internet, it's not like we're strangers! Right?_

 _ **Sun:**_

 _Yes! You're right!_

 _ **Sun:**_

 _(Today: 13:08)_

 _I have to go clean up. I was out searching for the wallet all morning and it rained when I was still out, so I had to take a shower right away, and Uzumaki-san will be home soon probably._

 _ **Sakura (Me):**_

 _Look at you getting all roommate-y! Or WIFE-Y. You know; If the shoe fits… Also: water! So jelly. I'll talk to you later._

 _ **Sun:**_

 _IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!_

When Sakura straightened up, her back cracked in several places. She groaned. _'I'm getting old,'_ She thought.

' _Strangers…'_

She scrolled down the message threads and stopped only when she found the one that she had been searching for. She tapped on it and read the message again, and tried to call the number.

What she got was a pre-recorded voice announcing that the line had been disconnected or not on service area. The same she had gotten for the past week.

Sakura sighed and left the phone on the table despondently.

As she watched the blinding sky of the desert in Suna, the name of the person she loved swam around her head.

' _Sasuke…'_

She turned to look at her phone.

' _At least he tried to reach me… That must be good, right…?'_

From the corner of her eye, she could still read the message she had tried to answer so fervently:

' _I found him. But he's already dead. Is it my time to disappear too?'_

* * *

 **Strangers, huh?**

 **Edit: 05/07/2016**

I fixed some grammar mistakes! sorry about that, english is not my mother tongue


	6. Ramen is not a dish full of nutrients

It was Four and thirty in the afternoon on a Thursday when something happened to Naruto that hadn't happened to him in his whole life. He had slugged up the seven floors up to the one his apartment was in, and was raising his hand to knock on the door for the second time when it suddenly swung in, and he was met with a cheerful Hinata. She stepped back to let him in.

Naruto stepped in the entryway, and started to untie his shoes carelessly, and shouted out: "I'm home!" like he was used to.

He was startled by her voice "Welcome home!" Hinata walked back to the living room and left him alone.

He paused, his hands hovering over the blue shoelaces of his sneakers. His heartbeat felt like it had stopped for a second. Naruto turned his head as far as it could go. He could spy Hinata sitting in the living room, leaning against the ratty couch his godfather had left to him, a brand new laptop resting on her lap, her fingers typing away.

"Hinata," Naruto hesitated. He swallowed. "Hinata, I'm-I'm home."

She stopped typing and turned to look at him. The smile she gave him then was contagious. Her face was pink. "We-welcome home, Uzumaki-san!"

Naruto flashed her a bigger smile. He turned around to keep undoing his shoes. When he was done, he walked into the apartment and to the living room, stopping just next to Hinata. He frowned and plopped down.

Hinata squirmed and her face turned pink. Her skin contrasted nicely with her dark long hair. Naruto's heart gave a funny flip. He focused his gaze on the computer's screen.

"WindWay?"

She let out a deep breath, and kept on typing and clicking away. "Yes… I'm trying to create an account to contact my cousin."

"But it's not your name here, is it? At least I don't think so… I don't know how your name is spelled…" He pointed to the screen, where the 'name' box was filled with what he knew to read as Muramoto Hiyuri.

"It's not really my name," she raised her fingertips from the keys and briefly touched the screen, where her new name was. "But I don't want Father to find me…"

He leaned on the couch, his head coming to rest just next to hers. "I still don't understand why you need to go to such lengths." Naruto closed his eyes, the edges of his vision turning black, a heavy feeling creeping on him. "I don't think… if I disappeared… I think no one… would care…"

It was dark, until it wasn't. Naruto was walking in light. He didn't know how he knew; he just knew he was walking in it. He didn't even remember the color of light. He would just remember the feeling of walking endlessly, his heart constricted and flipping over every once in a while. It was painful, but it also felt like happiness. Then the happiness turned into darkness again, and he felt so tired. So, so tired.

His eyes opened much, much later. His head still felt heavy, and he wasn't in his apartment anymore. He was laying on a hospital bed. Hinata was just closing the door, bowing once again to someone.

He cleared his throat. "Hey, Hinata."

She gave him a weak smile "Hello, Uzumaki-san". Hinata was holding a 'get well soon' card and a small vase with flowers in it. She left them carefully in the bedside table "You had heat exhaustion leading up to a heat stroke."

Naruto smiled hesitantly. He nodded towards the cards and flowers. "Are those for me?"

Hinata nodded, and sat in the chair next to his bed.

Her reluctance to speak was driving him nuts. He laughed, trying to ease the tension. "Hinata, don't call me Uzumaki-san anymore, right?" He coughed. "You don't have to be so formal, you know? We're friends now; yeah?"

She sat still, frowning. "How do I address you?"

"Naruto is fine for me!"

Hinata smiled slightly, "Then 'Naruto-kun' it is! If-if it's alright with you…"

He nodded. Her frown returned.

His smiled dropped. While he was happy she agreed to be more informal with him, he was concerned he might have pushed her too much. "Hinata, if you don't want to-"

"I heard what you said, Naruto-kun." She interrupted him. "I know you believe no one cares about you but many have already dropped by. We've been here four hours"

Naruto stared at the cards. He could spy Kiba's hideous handwriting in one card, and Shino's perfect one in another. There was another card from the people at work. There was a 'get well' balloon tied to his bedpost, and Hinata's eyes seemed so concerned. He stared off at nothing.

She sat on the edge of his bed. "I find it hard to believe no one would care about someone as nice and kind as Naruto-kun." Hinata hid her face from him, blocking the view with her hair. "Even if no one else did, I know me and Sakura-san appreciate Naruto-kun." She turned briefly to show him a smile. "She's so mad, you know? She says I have to get you to eat something else than ramen."

He scowled. "Not my ramen! I'll give up the pizza, but not the ramen," He grumbled "I need to call her to negotiate." A feeling like the first one he had gotten in his dream was filling him again. He moved his left hand so it was laying over hers, and he let out the smile he had been trying to hide. "Thank you, Hinata."

Now it was her heart that flipped.

* * *

In Wave, the climate was much different than the one in Konoha. It was nighttime already, and the fog was invading the city, coming in from all directions from the sea, and the temperature was unexpectedly cold. Neji Hyuuga was laying on the bed next to his girlfriend, entertaining his left hand with her brown hair while she slept, while browsing his WindWay account. A friend request popped up from a woman. There was something familiar about her name. He analyzed the characters in her name. The meaning was now much more clear to him. 'The sun's lily in the village of origin'. He was not called a genius for no reason. Neji untangled his hand off his girlfriend's hair. He accepted Muramoto's friend request, and opened up a new message.

He typed only four digits. _'2712'_. He tried to contain his excitement as he clicked on his little cousin Hanabi's name and sent her a similarly brief message. _'The pizza place's number is 271-21-111. Next time we're over, please order two of pepperoni'_

Neji smiled, satisfied with the message, sent it, and then closed his laptop and went to sleep.

* * *

On the other side of the building, a young girl only 13 years old read an already expected message from her cousin Neji. _'The pizza place's number is 271-21-111. Next time we're over, please order two of pepperoni'_

Hanabi felt tears form in the corner of her eyes, a big ball of pain undoing slowly in her chest. According to their agreed code, ' _2712_ ' – that number meant ' _Hinata_ '. ' _1111_ ' meant ' _She's safe and we have set up communication_ '. The rest of the message was not that important, except for the last part. _'The next time we're over, -order two-.'_ That meant Neji and Uncle were going to explain everything the next time they saw each other.

They had done well, considering their opponent had been the Byakugan. Their company's most powerful invading and hacking tool, coded by her cousin, her sister, and herself. She sighed. She missed her elder sister. She had missed her in her birthday party, and the prospects weren't looking great for next year.

* * *

 **Hello! I'm back with another chapter**

Hinata's fake name in WindWay was actually chosen very carefully. These are the kanji I chose to spell the name: 村本日百合. 村 means village, 本 means origin or root, 日 means day or sun (and also the same kanji used in Hinata's name and last name), and 百合 means lily. I used the last one because Hinata is often compared to a white lily.

2712 is Hinata's birthday. This all shows that Hanabi knew something about her uncle and cousin planning to fly Hinata away from Wave, and we learn something about the Byakugan!

What do you think? do you want to know more about the byakugan? or more about the missing, wallet retrieving dude?


	7. When your roommate's worth a billion Ryo

"Oh!"

Naruto tilted his head to the right, so he could better look at the message in the ATM. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, no." Hinata covered the display, took a deep breath, and uncovered it. "It was just unexpected…" She drew herself in, her hands tight against the other, close to her chest.

His eyes widened. "A bi-bi-billion Ryos?!" He backed up. "This is where our aircon came from?" He had never seen such a large number in an ATM.

Hinata shushed him, her hands trembling. They stared at each other in silence, before Hinata placed her hands in the keypad. "I-It's nothing weird, I promise. I _think_ it's my inheritance… I've been taking money out consistently so I don't have to go inside" She pressed an option in the touchpad and another, and suddenly a whirring started, and a wad of bills jutted out of the cash dispenser that Hinata quickly grabbed and stuffed in her small purse. She waited until the card came out and put that away too.

She glanced up to Naruto's eyes, and tried to get her voice to settle down. "I'll explain properly this time, b-but first, we need to go home."

"Y-yeah, okay."

He followed her without more words, and it was only when they were settling around the table that he spoke again. "Does this all have to do with the money earlier and the fake profile?"

Naruto's eyes were on her, soft, and concerned. Hinata felt like there was nothing she could hide from that look on his blue eyes.

She pushed back some of her hair behind her ear, and let her hands fall graciously on her lap. "Yes." Hinata sighed.

Naruto gave her a hand gesture that said 'go on…', his eyes intrigued, his body leaning forward.

She hid her face from his. "I was pushed by my father to finish high school early and enter the business school in Wave, with a minor in computer sciences." She remembered the deadly look he gave her whenever she dared to disagree. "I had earned a full scholarship in the school of Education here, in Konoha, but my father believed it was a worthless career," She met his eyes with her own. "So he cut me off. He took my phone away, had me followed at all times, deactivated my social media accounts, a-and forbid me from speaking to my friends and my little sister. Because he found out of my wish to drop out and take the scholarship offer, he believed I would corrupt my sister."

Hinata wiped away a few tears that were already escaping and running down her cheek. "At that s-same time, something happened with a product my cousin, my sister and I designed, the Byakugan, and my father told me that it wouldn't ma-matter anymore if I graduated or not. He said I would do a great service to our family, and from there on I would belong to a d-different one. One moment please."

She walked to the bathroom as fast as she could, and cleaned nose. She splashed some water on her face. She felt gross. She tied her hair back in a ponytail, dried her face, and went back to the public area.

Naruto had moved to sit to the couch that faced the balcony. When he saw her looking, he patted the area next to him. He gave her a hesitant smile "Hey, sit over here!"

Hinata gripped the roll of toilet paper in her hands, and moved to sit next to him, her heart hammering in her chest. Her voice came out like a whisper. "Thank you."

He put his feet over the coffee table, and crossed his arms, light spots of pink in his cheeks. He looked at her, her red face, and even redder nose, and her swollen and bloodshot eyes. "You don't have to tell me; you know? If it's too hard for you to talk about…"

She shook her head, her eyes set on the visage of the sunset filtering through the skyscrapers. "You already know bits of the rest, Naruto-kun. I-it makes no sense to hide it. I've lived here for almost a month already. I-it's time."

Naruto put down his feet from the coffee table, turning his torso in her direction. "If you're sure, Hinata…"

She turned to look at him, slightly flustered when she found his eyes locked on hers. "I'm sure." She blushed, and turned her eyes to look to the view out the balcony. "This is only the theory I've come up with, with no m-more information. A few days after my father talked to me, my cousin found out of Father's plans for me, and told my uncle. Together they made a plan to take me out of the country without my father finding out, and then erased the trace behind me. It's them that are providing me with money. That's why I had to create a fake profile."

Naruto was looking at her wordlessly, stunned at all the information. _'This is slightly like a drama'_ He thought. He couldn't believe all that Hinata had gone through. "That's why you didn't know if Sakura-chan had graduated or not, or in what school she was."

Hinata nodded slowly, bringing her legs up on the couch, leaning her chin on her knees, embracing her legs. "I still don't know what the Byakugan had to do with it all, or what my father meant by doing them a great service." She sighed. Her face exuding hopelessness. "I could tell it wasn't nice though. Not for me. He smiled when he told me"

Hinata kept her eyes on the distant horizon, but Naruto kept his on her.

* * *

"I still don't know how they didn't choose you to be queen." Sakura chewed her salad distractedly. "Aren't you the oldest?"

A blonde woman stared at Sakura's salad in disgust while she cut her own steak. "Yes. I'm the oldest. Your elder for three years too, you punk."

Sakura gave her the stink eye "Only for three years, Temari!" She munched on a piece of lettuce. "Anyway, I still don't get why they passed you and Kankurō over."

Temari scowled at her. "Apparently, only guys can be in charge, and Kankurō's reluctant to be King, so little bro Gaara stepped up." She crossed her arms. "Besides, since me and," Temari nodded in the direction of a black haired boy sitting in the booth next to her "-this guy are marrying in a couple of years or so, they decided they needed to protect the _'bloodline'_ " she mocked, in annoyance.

The boy next to Temari gave a lazy scowl.

Sakura took a sip from her drink, considering her words. "Yes, of course. They're assholes and they sh-wait WHAT?" She set the plastic cup on the booth's table hard. Her eyes turned wildly from Temari to the boy, trying to find the truth in their eyes. They finally settled accusingly on the boy. "Shikamaru! I didn't even know you two were _dating_!" Her reproachful eyes turned to Temari. "And I've known you both for _years._ "

Temari burst out laughing, while Shikamaru's scowl deepened.

He tried to hide his blush by looking out the window. "…What a drag…"

Sakura blew her pink hair off her face, pouted, and crossed her arms. "Whatever…" a ping distracted her from the conversation. Her features eased when she saw her two latest correspondents' texts. She sighed dreamily, putting her free hand over her chest. "Ah… Young love…"

The girl in front of Sakura scowled slightly and snatched the phone away from her friend. "What's this?" She easily guessed Sakura's new password and opened her text application. "Let's see who you are hurting my feelings for," Said Temari with a completely straight face.

The other girl watched, entertained "I see how much it affects you!", waiting for Temari's reaction. Except it wasn't the reaction she expected. She saw Temari frown. Sakura leaned forward, trying to take her phone back, her movements flustered and her face pink. "T-that's not what you think it is! Sometimes my friend Ino sends…!"

Temari put up a hand in front of Sakura's face. Her scowl fading. "That's not it, Sakura." As Sakura sat back, Temari placed the phone on the table and turned it around so Sakura could see the picture clearly. "What is the Hyuuga's missing daughter on your phone for?"

* * *

First, review answers! 

**From: guest (Guest)**  
 **-**

 **guest:great chapter!**

Thank you, guest (Guest)!

I might have slightly outdone myself, writing two chapters so closely timed, and i might be getting too cocky, but let me just tell you guys, this is the longest story i've ever done.

Some Shikatema, which I hope the people who don't like it will overlook. I wonder what Ino sends Sakura that could be so scandalous. Any guesses?

Hinata finally told Naruto the story behind her running away, but there's stuff not even she knows.

Fun fact! I based the value of Ryo in the Japanse yen, so a billion Ryos equals 9,542,000.00 US dollars! 177 million Mexican pesos (that makes it easier for me to count tbh)

Anyway, let me know if you liked it or if you didn't, and what character you miss the most!


	8. Marry me?

Neji told the driver to go back without him. He would go back to the Hyuuga mansion with his father for dinner, anyway, and he couldn't risk the driver overhearing anything.

It was already past noon, though the cloudy sky made it look like it was still morning. Neji entered the big house silently, nodding to the servants who went to check who had just gone in. At Neji's nod, they'd disappear from sight, like scurrying mice. They ran close to the mint-colored walls. He had no idea why they were so afraid of him, but he enjoyed not being disturbed.

He entered the kitchen, stepping on the dark brown wooden floor, and went down the stairs to the basement. At the end of the stairs was an aluminum plated door, with a keypad to the right. Once he typed his password, the door swung open, letting him in, and closing itself behind him.

The generators were whirring away, and his father sat, his spine sticking straight. His fingers were typing away urgently at the keyboard, his eyes glued to the screen. Neji wasn't sure if he had heard him come in until he spoke.

"Neji." His eyes set on Neji like a flash, before returning to the computer. "Come here. I'm almost done."

Hizashi's son approached him, his eyes soft on his father, though his lips were stretched in a line. Neji dragged a chair and sat next to him, looking at the codes Hizashi was typing. Hizashi noticed his son's interest.

"It's Hinata," stated Neji.

"She accessed the account I set up for her. Just this morning, it seems." Hizashi typed for a full minute before speaking again. His voice just as stoic as before. "I'm changing the bank's log."

Neji frowned. "This time you're changing it to Iron." He waited for his father's answer, but he got none. "You want to make it seem as if it's being accessed from different places." Neji leaned in to get a better look. "Why are you making this so complicated?"

Hizashi leaned back, sighing. "It's not something I want to do. It's Hiashi. He's getting desperate."

They both looked at the screen, deep in thought.

* * *

"How do you know her anyway?"

Temari leaned back in her seat. She raised her left eyebrow slightly, her arms crossed. "I met her a few times," She said, blinking once. "-But that was when I was a kid. My family has been using their products to protect our privacy for ages." Her eyes drifted to her fiancé.

Shikamaru finished tying his black hair in a lazy ponytail, his mouth a straight line and his eyes half closed. "You fired them though."

"What?" Sakura perked up, laying both hands on the table.

Temari sighed, sparing look to her fiancé that told him he might regret it later. "Look. We've always made them sign confidentiality agreements. We had just implemented the use of a product of theirs that is supposed to ward off hackers, and _coincidentally_ ," said Temari, using the air quotes "a recording of the ministry's decision on an important bill was all over the news before the press conference." The princess of Suna crossed her arms again, definitely not displaying the grace of a royal. "They hadn't even left the room yet."

Sakura grimaced, "What does that have to do with Hinata?"

"The product that was used to spy on us was the Byakugan," Temari shared a look with her fiancé, and Temari turned back to Sakura, her voice full of concern. "and your friend was one of the main coders."

Shikamaru snuck a hand beneath the table to touch Temari's knees. His expression was bored, but his eyes had a spark burning with a mystery unsolved. "Hinata Hyuuga's log-in information was used to spy on the Ministry. That's all I could find before it blocked me for good."

* * *

Hinata stared around the room she'd been staying for almost a month. It was raining again, the sunset blocked behind dark clouds. The personal effects of an old man with long, white hair (judging by the pictures) scattered on the shelves and end tables. "A-are you sure no one needs the room?"

Naruto took a long bathrobe from the closet. "Yep! The room's all yours now." He folded the robe and put it into a box. He turned to Hinata.

She was holding a white picture frame, staring at the photo with an adorable smile on her face. His heart pounded, his chest was burning. He turned his back on her, hoping she didn't hear his heartbeat. It was so loud; he could hardly hear anything else.

"Naruto-kun!" Her voice startled him. He yelped and turned around swiftly. Her face had dashes of pink here and there. Her eyes were slightly widened, her lips parted slowly. So slowly. "I'm s-sorry I startled you!" Her face was redder, if that was possible, and he feared her skin would sizzle if he put an ice cube against it.

She was so close to him; too close to him. "He-y, it's okay" He said, his voice wavering unwillingly and pitchy. "What is it?"

"Is-is this baby you?" She stretched her arm towards him, offering him the picture frame she'd been holding.

Naruto took the picture from her, distracting his pounding heart by inspecting it. It was a picture of his new born self, his mother's arms around him, and his father standing next to the hospital bed. There was also Jiraiya. "I didn't know he had this!" He traced his finger over his parent's faces, and it came to rest over himself. "This is from the time I was born." He looked at her, and saw she was listening intently. He showed her the picture and pointed to the redhead and blond holding his baby-self. "These are my parents. Uzumaki Minato and Kushina."

She took back the frame. "Oh! I see!" Hinata looked at the people in the picture, and felt the heat returning to her face. _'What's this,'_ she thought, _'Naruto-kun's parents are so beautiful… Although it does makes sense… Naruto-kun is…'_ Her heart tingled. _'No, no! Back to reality!'_. She pressed her hands to her cheeks in an attempt to compose herself. "Where-Where are your parents now? Do they live somewhere else?"

He laughed, his voice pitchy again. "Ah, no, no." He scratched the back of his neck. "Err… How should I put this…?" He avoided her curious look, and his voice went down in volume until Hinata almost couldn't hear it. "They're… They're not with me anymore…"

"Oh!" Her skin paled. "Oh…"

"I'm alright, though, you know?" He remarked, smiling.

Still, she smiled awkwardly. "Yes! Umm…" Her eyes moved from one place to another, trying to find what to say. The picture showed up in her mind. "You-You've still got your grandfather!"

"Actually," He corrected, grinning nervously "my godfather isn't here anymore too."

Her grip on the picture frame became weaker, and eventually it dropped on the bed beside her. She approached Naruto carefully, slipping her hands into his tight fists. "It's alright, you have a family right now, d-don't you?"

As soon as her fingers came into contact with his hands, heat spread through his face, his ears, and the back of his neck. He gazed down at her hopeful face "Hinata… When you say that…" More and more heat. "It k-kinda sounds like you're a-asking me to…"

Hinata's face turned pink, "Oh…" and then red. "Oh!" Her eyes travelled to their joined hands. "O-Oh!" She let go of him and brought her arms close to her chest. "I m-meant because we're friends, and Sakura-san too.."

Naruto just laughed.

* * *

 **First, answers to reviews!**

Guest chapter 7 . Jul 17

I liked it! Loved the ShikaTema! Hope we get to see more of them later :)

Update Soon :)

 **Thank you, Guest! I hope this little Shikatema treat is enough to hold on to for a little while!**

guest chapter 7 . Jul 17

great chapter!

 **Thank you for reading, guest!**

 **_** Perhaps this chapter doesn't advance the plot much, but i really like it somehow. I like it more than the last one. Sometimes i've seen in dramas and manga that guys propose to their girlfriends saying stuff like 'let's be family together!' and i thought that was so cute! So i wanted to play with it. We'll be hearing a bit more on the tomato lover, the sister, and the father soon!

If you liked this chapter or if you didn't, please tell me through a review! I always love reading them, they make my day


	9. Searching and finding

_**Sakura (Me):**_

 _(Today: 03:19)_

 _So it's not true?_

 _Did you realy have nothing to do with that?_

 _(Today: 03:21)_

 _*Really_

 _ **Sun:**_

 _(Today: 03:25)_

 _I never even used it, besides the trials_

 _My creator status was given because I worked mainly on the coding of the interface's graphic design_

 _(Today: 03:35)_

 _Sakura-chan?_

 _ **Sakura (Me):**_

 _(Today: 03:36)_

 _I'm just thinking about it._

 _I've known Shikamaru since elementary, and I've never known him to point fingers_

 _At least not before having the facts right_

 _(Today: 03:37)_

 _I wonder if anyone could've stolen your log-in info._

 _Did anyone know it apart from you?_

 _ **Sun:**_

 _(Today: 03:40)_

 _My little sister, Hanabi_

 _Sometimes she helped me when I got stuck_

 _She didn't want me to look bad in front of Father_

 _(Today: 03:47)_

 _But she would never tell anyone_

 _She's not like that_

 _My log-in was most probably stolen_

 _ **Sakura (Me):**_

 _(Today: 03:53)_

 _I'll ask Shikamaru if he can help us find more info_

 _ **Sun:**_

 _(Today: 03:55)_

 _I will look on the internet for when the Suna scandal happened_

 _I'll tell you if I remember anything important around that time_

* * *

"You have already told me that." Said Hiashi, getting up from his leathery executive chair, slowly laying his hands on his desk for support. "What I fail to understand is _why_ -" he turned his cold light gray eyes towards Kō, failing to withhold the fury bursting from his look. "-is it so difficult to find an eighteen-year-old _girl_ , a minor with _no_ resources," he slammed his open palm on the desk, making Kō jump, "when you know _exactly_ where the hell she is."

Hiashi let out a breath that seemed to come from the deepest and darkest part of his heart. "Explain, Kō."

Kō didn't know if he had whimpered only in his thoughts. "Hi-Hiashi-sama, the last time your daughter's account was accessed was in River; we have no more information." His eyes shifted to the tablet he was lightly holding. "N-no one knows of her. Our eyes in the streets haven't seen her at all."

Hiashi turned to look out to the view of the few people still on their way to work, walking through the intersection. It was past the morning rush; 6 am. "Her friend, Mizuno?"

Kō hesitated.

"Well?"

Kō cleared his throat "The girl, Haruno Sakura, moved to Suna to study before lady Hinata left. No sign of young lady Hinata there."

Hiashi stared out the window. Even though most people on the street below were hurrying away, minding their own business, there was something that didn't fit the picture. Or rather, there was someone.

He waved Kō away, not minding his boot licking flourishes and cowardice, his severe eyes focusing laser-like, on a white haired man standing near the pedestrian traffic light. The red glow turned to green, but the man still didn't move. Hiashi turned away from the window and sat on his desk chair.

He knew the man was watching.

He knew the man was waiting.

* * *

Naruto tightened his hold on the strap when the train rocked slightly. He loved this time of the day the most. The train was crowded any time of the day, but it was around midnight that the weather was the coolest in Konoha. It was the late night shift workers going home that made the train so crowded, and Naruto was one of them.

He smelled the rich aroma of the taiyaki filled bag hanging from his other hand, and he smiled contentedly. They'd been grocery shopping earlier, and Hinata had seen a vendor selling the fish-shaped cakes, but they didn't have time to stop and buy; he was already in a hurry to get to work, and she wanted to eat them together.

Naruto had forgotten about it until his shift ended, walking to the subway station, that he had seen another vendor, and bought the cakes in a whim. He wondered what kind of expression she would make when she saw them.

Then again, he wondered if she was even still awake. Yesterday he had found her awake at three in the morning nestled in the couch, texting with Sakura-chan. If he knew her, and he liked to think he did, despite the short time they'd really known each other, Hinata wouldn't sleep in the afternoon, and would be doing something she'd think was useful.

She'd probably be too tired by the early afternoon.

The train stopped, and he felt a mass of people move behind him. Realizing it was his stop, Naruto hurried to the other side of the cart so he could get off the train, raising the taiyaki bag above head-level in an attempt to protect them.

Someone behind him pushed Naruto, too eager to get out to wait, and too confident in his place in the world to care who he hurt. Naruto turned, ready to yell at the old man, when something else caught his notice.

It was a guy, probably his age. He was standing near where Naruto had been, facing the window, his back to Naruto's direction.

Naruto recognized his stance and the nonchalant grasp of the strap before he even noticed his black hair.

A desperate yell was ripped from his throat, almost like a physical reflex "SASUKE!". Naruto tried to push back against the crowd, to go back inside the train, but he was already out, and the doors were already closing.

Sasuke turned around, slowly, doing nothing to rush to his friend. He hesitantly raised his hand, no expression on his face, as the train sped on. Far, far away from him.

No matter the distance between them, Naruto felt that Sasuke was now the furthest away he'd ever been.

* * *

 **Hello again, everyone!** A shorter chapter, this time! I'm sorry! I leave in a little under a week, so i've been getting everything ready

I'll answer the reviews now!

 **SpicyWifey chapter 8 . Jul 23**

 **Loved the chapter!**

 **It looks like we are getting more and more in depth and to to core of the problem. And I loved the little Naruto and Hinata moment you had there!**

 **The story line line is starting to get really exciting! I hope they really do get married :) lol**

 **Update Soon :)**

I hope i haven't disappointed you yet! I've never written such a complicated story. I also hope they get married! but we'll see if it works with this story! There are bigger things at play than only my will. Thanks for your review!

 **guest chapter 8 . Jul 23**

 **great chapter!**

Thank you, guest! Hope you liked this one too

 **Guest chapter 1 . Jul 24**

 **Nice begging. ..I like your story already**

Thank you, Guest!

 **..**

Before, I wrote "Uzumaki Minato and Kushina" but that was not a mistake, i did it very much intentionally, and i'm still figuring out how to work with that, so no spoilers!

I know i said i'd write about the sister, but that scene didn't seem to fit with the chapter, so I'll postpone it to a different chapter. There's a new person, and he makes Hiashi anxious. Naruto saw Sasuke, but where will that lead? I'll show you a little bit more about the search for Sasuke next chapter, and hopefully something about the sister, and also Sakura. Of course, Naruhina, as well!


	10. I'm not a fool

I promised I wouldn't abandon this story, and here it is! I've been so busy with schoolwork and adapting to the life here, I didn't have a lot of chances to write. I've been so social, I'm almost disgusted at myself.

 **Guest chapter 9 . Sep 19**

Please continue Dx

 _I'm sorry it took so long!_

 **Shiroko Kira chapter 9 . Aug 11**

I feel the chapters are really short, but I like the feel of the story and now I really want to know what happens next! Please update!

If you ever wanna drop the story just tell us what happened first Dx too many incomplete fanfics to be able to live happy already.

 _Thank you! Hope I didn't disappoint_

 **guest chapter 9 . Aug 7**

really great chapter!

 _Thank you!_

and Thank you, Kakau

* * *

Hinata watered the pots filled with feverfew Naruto kept at the corner of the balcony. The sun was peeking out from on top of the buildings lazily. The hot summer had finally ended, and Hinata had been gone from home now for two months and a half.

A swift wind filtered through the open glass doors of the balcony, passing around Hinata, making her lower the watering can on the floor next to the feverfew pots, and straighten up quickly, closing the purple dressing gown she was wearing over her light gray pajamas.

She turned half-way, intending to go back to the living room and close the window when she saw something that made her stop at once. It was Naruto, and he was deep asleep on the couch, wearing a scowl, with his arm covering his face.

Hinata hadn't noticed him on the way to the balcony. She was too concerned on not spilling the water onto the wooden floor.

It hadn't been the first time she had found him like this, and she had been worrying for the last two weeks. He had thrown himself over his job; he'd gotten another job in a convenience store while still going to work at the restaurant in the evening, sometimes covering double shifts, sometimes not even coming back at all.

Hinata would often do the groceries for the day, and prepare something for Naruto to eat, guessing, and often guessing right, that he'd left in too much of a hurry in the morning and hadn't taken something to eat.

He had been looking so unhappy recently, his smile shallow, and Hinata was fearing it might be her fault. She had been contributing to the food expenses and other bills, so it couldn't be money. If anything, Naruto was living better than he had been (or so he had told her) because he was splitting the bills with someone else. The only difference from before that she could see was her presence.

Maybe he was tired of sharing his space with her and was too kind to tell her, and that's why he wanted to be out as much as possible.

"Hinata?" his groggy voice alerted her. He groaned and sat up on the couch, stretching his arms well above his head, "What time is it?" he said, yawning; his faded black t-shirt riding up his abs.

 _Abs._

Hinata cupped her red cheeks with both her hands. "Um-m it's um- it's five a.m. in the morning?" turning around, away from him. "I'll- I'll go get dressed! Um…"

"Uh…?" Answered Naruto, in zombie-mode.

"B-breakfast?" she said, still not facing him.

Naruto blinked, his face limp as he scratched the dried drool on his cheek. His eyes trying to shield his brain from the dim sunlight. He sensed Hinata fidgeting and turned to look at her. He cleared his throat "sure!" he smiled at her back, knowing that she would feel his smile and stop being so anxious.

She did that often; she would turn to face away from him and would squirm in one way or another. He felt a thing in his chest whenever he looked at her, and he hated it. The girl had been through almost hell and back, and the thing in his chest made him feel like he was a creep.

Like he was keeping something from her, and he hated keeping secrets from the people he cared about. He was confident she could feel his stare on her now. She was probably uncomfortable having to spend time with him, too.

From what he had seen, she was a very lady-like girl, always being so neat and serene wherever she went, and he was disorganized, and he was always making a fuss about something. He was ashamed when she had to come into his room to wake him up when he was late for work.

He was sure she would grow to resent him someday soon. ' _oops.'_ He trained his eyes away from her moving figure; stopped in the hallway and didn't follow her.

Now that her presence couldn't distract him, Naruto's mind went back to the thing that had plagued him for years now.

Sasuke.

His best and oldest friend, and at one time, his rival.

Naruto leaned back on the couch, defeated.

Even though the first time they met, Naruto and Sasuke had gotten into a fight, by the end of the first year of high school they had become good friends. You would not see one without the other, and usually, Sakura would be next to them too. She would be either scolding him or laughing sweetly at something Sasuke would say, and Sasuke would share that look of smug victory with him, and Naruto would be sulky.

And Sasuke would be happy.

Then shit really hit the fan, Sasuke disappeared; transferred to a high school in Suna, forever lost to them.

Weird rumors about him and his family.

"Naruto-kun?"

The last time he had seen Sasuke he had tried to run back to him but it seemed Sasuke could not be bothered to do anything more than raise his hand.

He didn't complain, after all, he _had_ been looking for him ever since he'd disappeared, but it had surprised him. What was he doing back in Konoha?

"Um… Naruto-kun? Are toast and eggs okay?"

"Oh! Hinata!" He turned his head around, and seeing that she was setting up the table, leaped to his feet to help her.

* * *

Sakura smiled ruefully through the screen, hoping he wouldn't notice, but was unsuccessful.

" _GAAAAHHHH!"_

Then, Sakura saw the ceiling, for a little over a minute, before Naruto came back on the screen of her phone.

" _So, he texted you, and you didn't say anything? You suck!"_

Sakura scowled, "I just knew that you would run up here if you heard, but the fact is you would have lost your job, and what for? -" her scowl vanished into a forlorn look. "He's not even here. He's in Konoha."

Naruto stuck out his tongue at her.

"Whatever. So what are we gonna do now? I'm in the middle of finals here!"

Naruto's face settled, his eyes hardened, his mouth a thin line. _"I'll look for him. I know someone who may help."_

* * *

He promised her.

When she gave him the access to the editing rooms, he had promised to leave her elder sister out it; that he would clear her name as soon as he could. Now her sister's face was plastered in the newspapers, and she was missing from Hanabi's life. She had been for the last two months and a half.

Hanabi hurried through the bright corridors of the mighty house she hated more than she hated herself.

She slammed doors in her wake. Her age (13) couldn't excuse her. She was premature, she told herself, being deemed a child granted with a genius bigger than her own cousin, that she looked up to, and a greater talent than her sister's, who was older than her for 5 years.

'That's what bothers me,' thought Hanabi, a scowl marring the features someone might have once considered innocent, as she exited the mansion and almost ran to the door of the car she had asked to be prepped. 'He played me for a fool.'

Hanabi gave the address to the driver in a piece of paper without uttering a word.

Caressing the small recording device, smaller than her thumb's nail, and activating it.

She was putting an end to it, even if she herself came down in flames. She would be the one to burn the motherfucker. She had calculated the risks of associating with him from the beginning but decided the potential success was bigger than the cost involved.

Had she not freed her sister, after all?

Her hands settled.

Hanabi thought briefly of calling her cousin, Neji, so he would be aware of her location, just in case, but decided against it. Instead, she brought her left index to the small gold earring, pressing the pearl encrusted in it until it made an almost imperceptible 'click', activating the tracker.

If anything happened to her, at least they would know how to find her.


	11. How terrible for her family

The man was reviewing the pictures his agent had sent him. He smirked; a face that would have otherwise be considered handsome twisting in an obscure, almost insane smirk. He swiped left to review them again. Hiashi, the Hyuuga patriarch, arguing in public with his twin brother. The man could tell the difference between them because of the youngest brother, Hizashi's shorter hair. Their faces looked stiff, but Hizashi's expression was more confident. More… challenging.

Was he the one hiding his little pet?

The man settled his phone on the table, his hands resting flat on his desk, a frown disfiguring once again his features.

He'd met her when she was just thirteen and he twenty-two, and she had been the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. He had been so close to having her the first time he'd approached her, back then, and she had escaped him.

Then, after his elaborate plan with the Byakugan had come through, the man had swooped in as a savior, and expected his prize served on a silver platter.

His fingers ticked in annoyance.

She had escaped him once again.

"Sir?" said a female voice.

He raised his eyes to the door, his expression blank again, a tall, gangly woman standing at the doorframe.

His secretary turned to the waiting room of his office before swiftly facing him again. "It's Hyuuga Hanabi, sir."

The man let out a soft smirk. "Let her in."

"What I don't understand-," grunted Naruto, as he carried in the last crate for the midnight re-stocking of the convenience store, holding the phone between his right shoulder and his cheek "-is why's such a big deal or what." He sighed, leaving the crate on the floor and beginning to stack the ramen on the shelves.

" _Naruto! Information like this is very delicate! I can't even-!"_

He scowled. "Not that!" Naruto sighed. "What I'm saying is why don't they just investigate!" He rose, taking the now-empty crate to the counter. "You know, we could just give a call to Gaara and explain that Hinata didn't do it."

Naruto heard Sakura snort. _"Well how come I didn't think of_ _that_ _before! You're a genius!"_

"Hey!" Naruto put his phone between his shoulder and face and took another crate.

" _Look, right now not even Temari can talk to the king. She's been put on some sort of quarantine because she refused to stop using her electronics."_

"Temari as in Gaara's sister? But she's his _sister_!" Naruto started filling in the fridge with soft drinks, looking over his shoulder to make sure no one was coming in.

" _Yes… well…"_

"This sucks."

" _Look, at least this way Shikamaru can do his own research into all that and not be blocked by the royal politics."_

Naruto pouted as an answer.

" _How's Hinata doing?"_

"Good!" he hummed, thoughtful. "She looks sad sometimes but she's determinedly looking for a job right now."

" _A job? But she told me she didn't need one"_

Naruto laughed. "Yeah! I think she's done with me, and probably trying to move out," he sulked.

" _Any girl would get tired if they had to live with your ass for that long!"_ mocked Sakura, good-naturedly. " _You_ _are_ _cleaning your mess right?"_

Naruto frowned. "Hey! You're in a mean mood today!"

Sakura sighed. " _Sorry; finals. More specifically, biochemistry final tomorrow."_

"Yeah. That's why I'm not going to University like you, nerd."

She laughed. _"I thought it was because of the tuition? Or International Relations school dream is no more?"_

He scowled. "Ouch."

" _Right. Well, that will teach you not to mess with me when I've had two hours of sleep in a week!"_

"Yeah, yeah, I was roasted, whatever!" Naruto smiled. "Anyway, gotta go, we're about to close up for our shift."

" _Let me know about what you find on Sasuke?"_

"Yeah."

Hinata was watering the feverfew again, taking care not to drown the plant, that sat in the balcony. It was slowly becoming Hinata's favorite place in the apartment, and she'd be sad to go, but she felt she had intruded on Naruto-kun's privacy for far too long.

She leaned on the railing and looked to the horizon. The sun was setting, hiding under the mountains. She had missed this.

All she could see in Wave was mist and sea. Coming back to Konoha had been such a relief! Like coming back to the last place she'd been happy in.

On the background, the TV kept going. She'd just let it run as background noise.

" _-…The young girl, missing since yesterday morning was last seen…- …. embroiled in the scandal."_

' _How terrible,'_ mused Hinata _'for that girl's family.'_

She hoped they could find her.

A ping and a vibration in her pocket. "Oh!" She smiled when she saw the sender. It was Naruto-kun.

' _Hinata, isn't this your sister?'_ and a link to an internet blog.

' _Hyuuga heirs disappearing faster than lighting._

 _After a long and fruitless search for the Hyuuga IT mogul Hyuuga Hiashi's eldest daughter (Hyuuga Hinata), who vanished from her school dorm almost three months ago, the younger Hyuuga heiress (Hyuuga Hanabi), a child prodigy of only 13, went missing after her driver dropped her off at a suspicious location yesterday morning._

 _Despite the early action taken both by police and Hyuuga's company (which specializes on IT security) there are still no leads, and the young Hyuuga's last-seen location was deemed as misleading as well due to it being a quite concurred public place. We wonder whether she will be found safe and sound, considering her young age._

 _The Hyuugas, who had not had a stain against their or their company's reputation until then, were tangled in a scandal when one of the main coders of the Byakugan, an upcoming and highly coveted anti-hacking product, leaked sensitive information over a certain polemic bill that was being voted upon by the Royal Council of Suna, proving that the un-hackable program could be fooled and throwing the Sunian Royalty into chaos. This lead to Hyuuga being fired and the first daughter's disappearance._

 _Odd timing, we'd like to say.'_

 _It seems a long set of misfortunes were set upon the family since the creation of the Byakugan. We shall report on new developments on the disappearance using the hashtag #findtheHyuugas._

 _Suscribe for more news.'_

Hinata's smile disappeared.

* * *

So... what did you think? I'm sorry again it took so long, but I just came back from living abroad and it took some time to get used to everything here again. I hope you've all had a good new year and that this year is much better than last!

Now i'll get to answering guest's reviews.

Guest chapter 10 . Dec 29, 2016

I hope you update soon! 3

-A literally like, guest's review! I'm sorry it took almost a month! now that i'm more used to living here i will have more time.

Take care everyone!


	12. One little lavender-eyed girl

**I'm finally back! This chapter is short, but it was made with a lot of care. We learn about some things in Hinata's past, and a little bit more of the motivations for the villain (The Man). I wrote a couple of scenes after this one but** i **felt this chapter would have a better pace if I ended it when I d** **id. Once again, thank you for being patient with me, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! If you do please let me know!**

* * *

Hinata barely noticed the passing of time. The moon was missing from the sky, and she was sitting in the darkness that the living room, and her mind, had become.

She had to go back. She had to go back and find her little sister because now she knew who could have done it. The light from the screen dimmed as the red dot that was her sister, or the tracking earrings Hinata had given her when Hanabi was ten, blinked in and out, moving through the streets of Wave, and Hinata's hand rested on the touchpad, unmoving.

Naruto burst into the room, panting, drenched and freezing. When he left the restaurant, it was raining buckets; one of those rains that sunk into your bones. He stared around, confused by the silence and darkness of the apartment. He found the dull glow that was Hinata in the floor of the living room, unmoving.

Quiet.

He approached her warily. When she didn't react to his presence, Naruto grabbed her shoulder, kneeling next to her.

Hinata's eyes didn't move from the blinking screen, but her head leaned a little bit towards him, tear tracks glinting in her cheeks, and Naruto knew she was aware of him.

"Hinata…" his words faltered when she turned to look at him, all drowning lavender. He saw the emotions swirling in the deep lake within her, and he wished he could swim upstream, into her heart, and alleviate her sadness.

He heard the unmistakable sound of her laptop taking an unfortunate tumble from her lap, as he crushed her body to his, his arms around her.

Her hands rose, shaking from her sides to his chest, her fingers grabbing to his cold, wet shirt as her first sob came out.

" _I did this…"_

"it doesn't have to be like this, you know?"

The little girl was glaring at him, weary, her mouth taped shut, a frown in her beautiful, beautiful face, so much like her older sister's, although Hanabi's essence was so much earthier. He could sense it here, underground.

The dark wood floorboards creaked as he advanced carefully on her; she recoiled farther away from him, closer to the headboard. Closer to where her wrists were tied to.

"We could become closer friends," he sat on the bed, taking hold of her feet, that had been bound together with rope "After all, aren't we to become relatives soon?"

Hanabi's breath fastened.

In her white eyes, the man could see the fear pooling. He smiled, taking off her shoes, careful not to twist the ankle that had been already hurt in the struggle at his office. He caressed the toes, almost with devotion, thinking of days past, and another little girl with lavender eyes, stopping only when she would jostle her feet away from him.

He scowled. He shoved her feet away from him, as if they'd burnt his hands.

"I'm glad we know now who's the smarter of the two."

He got up from the bed and left, locking the door behind him.

"His n-name…" her panic grew as her hands tightened around the warm cup of tea, her elbows resting tiredly on top of the table. "I c-can't remember his name well, just that his last name is Ootsutsuki… h-he… when I m-met him I was thirteen, he was twenty-something…."

She paused.

She felt a warm hand covering her own.

He looked concerned. "Hinata, you don't have to tell me this…"

Fat tears filled her eyes and fell down her cheeks, her nose running again.

She shook her head "One year later he… h-he… he…," she thought of the dark brick townhouse, sitting proudly near the shops downtown, and the dark secrets its walls had witnessed. "That man hurt m-me." She breathed in and out slowly. "H-he said I was too t-temp-tempting."

Hinata couldn't bear to look at his face, but his hand was already gone, and she heard the whine from the cheap plastic chair he was-had been sitting on. He was standing to her right, his hand on her shoulder, soft and reassuring. She placed her own left hand on top of his, crying silently. Her thoughts with her only sister, miles and miles away from her, and begged that she'd stay safe.


	13. Concrete angel

**Hola a todos! I'm so sorry it took so long for me to update. I've been having some personal issues and** i've **been feeling stuck in my writing. I'd really like to hear everyone's feedback on this unusually short chapter!**

giest: Thank you! i hope you like this chapter

* * *

 _ **Previously:**_

 _"After a long and fruitless search for the Hyuuga IT mogul Hyuuga Hiashi's eldest daughter (Hyuuga Hinata), who vanished from her school dorm almost three months ago, the younger Hyuuga heiress (Hyuuga Hanabi), a child prodigy of only 13, went missing after her driver dropped her off at a suspicious location yesterday morning."_

 _"She had to go back. She had to go back and find her little sister because now she knew who had done it."_

 _"The dark wood floorboards creaked as he advanced carefully on her; she recoiled farther away from him, closer to the headboard. Closer to where her wrists were tied to._

 _"We could become closer friends," he sat on the bed, taking hold of her feet, that had been bound together with rope "After all, aren't we to become relatives soon?"_

 _Hanabi's breath fastened."_

 _"She shook her head "One year later he… h-he… he…," she thought of the dark brick townhouse, sitting proudly near the shops downtown, and the dark secrets its walls had witnessed. "That man hurt m-me." She breathed in and out slowly. "H-he said I was too t-temp-tempting.""_

* * *

Hinata hadn't said anything after that, only stayed staring off into nothing, a face so still, Naruto couldn't have possibly disturbed it.

After ten minutes of the painful silence, Hinata seemed to come back to reality. Sluggishly, like a person flexing a sore muscle.

"H… Hinata?" He hesitated.

Her grayish-lavender eyes turned on him almost casually, her face betraying nothing. "I'll have to turn myself in back to my father…"

His chair screeched as he burst up, "WHAT?!" he gripped her shoulders, forcing her to face him. "You can't go off with your old man! He'll…!" Naruto sighed, and fell back in his chair, slumping.

Her eyes fixated on the table. "I don't know what he'll do, but I have to send him Hanabi's coordinates." Hinata's hands were tight into fists. Sitting on her knees like proud gate soldiers. "He'll track my signal back here, and he'll get me anyway."

"What if you send him a message, and then we run away?"

She hesitated for a moment, dread filling her yes. She closed her mouth and nodded.

He had looked at her with such hopefulness, she hadn't been able to deny him.

He had asked for some overdue time off with his boss, packed his things, asked Hinata to pack hers, sent out a message to her father through her laptop (which they had left behind before leaving), and they had taken the bus to the train station.

They managed to catch the last train heading out to Suna, paying the tickets with her money and his ID, and sat on the dining car. He was joking about the menu's price list, eyeing her from time to time to see if she cracked a smile, yet she was doing nothing but stare out the window.

Her hands were despondently resting on the table, and he fought the urge to take them with his own to comfort her. Finally, he sighed and gave up the jokes, focused on ordering a tea for Hinata and a sandwich for him.

Hinata registered movement to her right, and reacted, sitting straight, and taking the menu in front of her. She gave a smile. Hinata looked up at him. "What should I order? Naruto-kun-" She interrupted herself. The look in Naruto's eyes was one she hadn't seen lately. The emotion in his eyes made her feel like she was cut open and put on display.

However, if it was in front of him, Hinata didn't mind feeling that way. She ignored the small part of her that wanted to run away and jump off the train and held the eye contact with Naruto.

She breathed in. "You're the only one..."

Naruto startled. "W-what-?"

She leaned back on her seat. "Besides Sakura-chan, you're the only one I've ever told…a-about…" She fiddled with the cutlery.

Hinata felt her hands still under the touch of something warm and heavy; Naruto's hands on top of hers. She whipped up, shivering from the cold of the desert's night.

His eyes were open wide, a hint of wonder before he avoided her sight.

Her heart threatened to break a little. "D-do you think I'm a coward?"

Naruto laughed, "you're weird sometimes, you know that? I think you're the bravest person I've ever met."

They were still for almost half a minute before she tearfully smiled.

After a few hours, the trees had given ways to soft-looking, undulating dunes. They had watched them dance past the window from their room after dinner.

Naruto had tried to keep watch but had fallen asleep around 3 am. He was sitting, his back to the door, the fluorescent lights bathing him from the back like a late-night-urban halo.

Hinata watched him for a few minutes, knowing she could spare them and declared him her concrete angel.

She thought of the men in her life, and she knew that apart from her uncle and cousin, she trusted no other but Naruto.

' _Why do I believe in him so much?'_

She fought the urge to sit beside him and brush the blond hair covering his face. She grabbed the pillow and the blanket the staff had provided them with and tried to make Naruto lie down on the floor, covering him with the blanket, and placing the pillow behind his neck, so he wouldn't get a crick.

She stared at him for a bit, memorizing the way his eyelashes touched his skin, and the little bit of drool leaking from his open mouth before she stood up and dialed a number she knew by heart.

After a few waiting notes, the receiver clicked, and Hinata had to hold her breathing to hear well.

She heard a whimper, and a whispering, shaking voice ask: _"is anyone listening to me…?"_

Hinata let out the breath she had been holding, coming out into a terrified whisper. "Hanabi? _"_

" _Onee-sama…"_ breathed Hanabi, _"he's coming for you… He wants to have you"_


	14. The certainty of a dead man

"All passengers!" a hard, cold, knocking sound. "All passengers! We're about to shut off the train for cleaning, so it's your last chance to get off your compartment!"

The harsh clunk returned, uncomfortably near his ear.

Naruto jumped up.

"Aw man…" he blinked blearily, picking his backpack. _'Where's Hinata?'_ he wondered, looking around the compartment, but he was alone.

' _Maybe she's doing her business…'_ Naruto yawned.

The gangly dude outside the compartment's door called out again "Last warning! We will close off the train so we can clean it! If you stay, you're going to be stuck for another two hours!"

Naruto checked that the room was empty, and pushed his way out the door. "Thanks, man!" he said to the train staff, looking around on his way out, his eyes searching for Hinata.

' _Maybe she couldn't wake me up and decided to wait outside?'_

He jumped off into the platform, suddenly realizing it was empty. _'Hinata must be inside then!'_ , he rushed to turn back, but the staff member he saw earlier was already locking up.

"Wait!" Naruto pressed his hands against the glass door. "My friend's still in there!"

The 'thank God' look on the staff's face melted and was replaced with a numb stare. "Sir, you were the last one in the train, we were honestly concerned you might have been dead."

"Did you check the bathrooms?"

The staff's monotone voice filtered through the glass. "That's correct, sir, we follow all procedures mandated by corporate to give you the best service available."

Naruto turned to look back at the empty platform. Not a single soul.

' _Hinata couldn't have left like this, right?'_

* * *

"I'm not a tech expert like you dear, so you'll have to forgive my ignorance," he started "but I'm afraid I don't understand this data." He lifted the folder he was holding. When she didn't take it immediately, he prodded it softly into her cuffed hands. "Would you mind?"

Hanabi took the folder reluctantly, pausing before opening the folder to throw a death stare at him and look frightening with the swollen side of her face. "What is this?"

He leaned back into his office chair and picked up his cup of white coffee, nodding at her, almost proud, "As I said, _you're_ the expert."

He watched her read the document, the rush of blood to her face receding. "What does it say?"

Hanabi turned to look at him, a stubborn scowl in her face, silent.

He waved his left hand seemingly good-naturedly, "Oh well," he said as he put the mug down on the desk, taking the folder from her with a stretch. "I thought you might be able to put my security head's report into doubt." He put away the folder into a drawer in his desk. "He seems to believe a call was taken from an unrecognized device yesterday night… but that sounds so odd, doesn't it?" he laughed, "why would he ever say something so obviously false?"

Hanabi's jaw clenched painfully.

His eyes didn't move from her as he took a sip from his coffee, set the mug down and walked around his desk gracefully, like a puma sliding through the air. "You've done me the disservice of believing I'm stupid."

He grabbed her chin, forcing her head up to look at his towering form. "What a shame, really…" he almost whispered, examining her face. "I don't like them feisty." His finger slid like melting snow from her chin, his fingers settling in against her neck and pressed, and pressed, Hanabi's swollen face reddening more, more and even more, before letting go. "Who called you, dear?"

* * *

The long-haired girl climbed into the black sedan car that was waiting for her at the airport. She knew she'd done the right thing.

The chauffeur shut the car door and started the car. The destination not far from the only airport in Wave.

She wanted to believe she'd done the right thing.

* * *

 **Hi! it seems my inspiration didn't run out yesterday but it gave me a bit to post today too. I decided not to add it to the last chapter because i didn't want you to miss the notif for this one and because i feel like it ended better the way i left it.**

 **Thank you for reviewing you guys! I hope you liked this tiny bit as well! (also poor Hanabi..!)**


	15. The disappearance of Hinata Hyuuga

He banged on the door, and Sakura answered it, stepping to the side to let him in.

Naruto advanced to the living room, his duffel bag trailing his dragging feet.

"Naruto" she followed him, closing the door. "What happened? Where's Hinata? Didn't your train arrive two hours ago?"

"Yes, and gone." He flopped on the sofa, covering his eyes with his arm. "She left me behind at the train station."

Sakura smiled nervously, "Well, Naruto," she started.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto sat up, a second wind powering him. "You know where Hinata lives don't you?! You must have visited her so many times!"

She walked by and sat down on the arm chair nearest to him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Naruto, how much do you actually know about Hinata?"

He frowned at her, eyes closed "What do you mean? It's no time to play around!" he removed Sakura's hand from his shoulder impatiently. "Do you know her address or not?"

Sakura seemed to hesitate, before shaking her head no, avoiding his prying eyes. "I don't remember if any of us told you, but I've never actually met Hinata since she left Fire country."

Naruto's newfound energy left his body in a great sigh. "So, you've never been to her place at all…"

Sakura seemed to take pity on him. "Look, Naruto… did Hinata actually ask for you to help her?"

'… _Not really, did she…'_ He frowned and flopped back down into the sofa.

"All I'm saying is sleep on it. I'm sure we'll have news from Hinata soon, okay?"

Naruto covered his hands and grumbled a something-something, but Sakura was satisfied and stood up, taking his bag.

"You'll stay in the same room as last time!" her voice trailed from the hallway. "First room to the right!"

Naruto opened his eyes and looked around the room, taking in the new pale pink wallpaper, and the aircon unit.

' _Sakura-chan is settling in well here…'_

In the hallway, Sakura checked her cell phone. She was always late to check her messages, and she realized Hinata had probably taken advantage of that.

' _Please, for Naruto-kun and your safety, don't let him try to find me. If there is no news in 24 hours, send the thing we talked about to your friends in Suna. I'm afraid I've let him put himself in danger for my sake.'_

Sent at nine thirty am, received half a second later, but read at ten.

She tried to call her number once again, but it was busy. She'd been trying to call ever since she read it, hoping to halt her plans, but it was already eleven, and Hinata was gone.

She leaned her head against the cold, pale pink wall, and held the phone close to her. _'Hinata… I hope you know what you're doing…'_

After a couple of hours of sulking, he got up and went to the guest bedroom. He lay down on the bed and instantly fell asleep.

The morning brought with it several surprises. The first one, he encountered when he started unpacking.

Naruto stretched his arms and lifted his duffel bag, placing it on the bed, while noticing that it was heavier than normal. He let out a raspy _'heh?_ ' and started to unzip it.

As he opened his bag, something papery started to poke out.

' _money... money! Lots of money!'_

He finished unzipping the bag _'did I take someone else's bag?'_ , and saw a different type of paper. It was delicate-looking and of a soft lavender color. In thin, graceful handwriting his name was written as if to address him.

He picked up the paper and unfolded what turned out to be a note.

Naruto read it slowly:

 _"To Naruto-kun:_

 _You filled my darkness with light and I can never thank you enough for it, but I hope this money will take some of the weight off your shoulders._

 _Where I'm going, I won't need it._

 _To have met you the way I did was a blessing I'm not sure I deserved._

 _I'll always remember your smile that saved me."_

He squinted and read the note through two, three times, before his eyes widened.

' _What's this "Where I'm going, I won't need it"?'_ He gulped, before turning to look at the stacks of money bursting from his bag. 'Hinata… is this…?' He stood up, holding the note with both hands.

 _Was Hinata planning to disappear somehow? What was she trying to say?_

He heard Sakura turn up the volume of the TV in the living room, the jingle of the morning news show blaring.

His feet moved on their own and carried him into the living room. "Sakura! Hinata…!"

Sakura was staring at the TV, her left hand in a tight fist over her chest, and the right one gripping her phone, hanging by her side. The news presenter was speaking.

'… _has arisen in the form of the recovery of Hyuuga Hanabi,'_ "Hey! That's Hinata's sister!" _'the youngest daughter of Hyuuga company's CEO, the company that's now known for its infamous "protective software", the Byakugan, that was hacked into at the last full royal meeting of the capital city of Wind country, Suna, provoking a communication black out from the royal city.'_ "Oh! So, that's why Gaara can't answer the phone!"

' _All early information points to a kidnapping, as the young girl was found bound and gagged at a town house in the center of Wave's only and main city-'_

"Hinata found her sister, then!" shouted a smiling Naruto, turning to Sakura. _'All this worry for nothing!'_ he thought, putting the note down on the coffee table, and sitting down on the arm chair.

Sakura shushed him, casting him a weary, guilty look, while the presenter carried on.

' _-No one else was found at the residence at the time of the discovery, and no names have been put out as suspects, due to the child being unconscious, but we'll update you through our social media handles…'_

Sakura turned off the TV, collapsing down on the sofa, and Naruto turned to look at her, bemused.

"What's the matter, Sakura-chan?"

Her eyes filled with tears. "Naruto… you said that Hinata went to find her sister…" at his nod, she continued. "then how come nobody else was found there?" She cleaned the already leaking tears. "Shouldn't Hinata… She was also missing…"

Naruto sat up straight, his eyes searching for something in hers. The dreaded question at the tip of his tongue, but held back with cold iron bars around his heart. _'What if…?'_

Sakura hid her face with her hands, a silent sob wrecking her shoulders. _'Hinata… what am I supposed to do with this…?'_

* * *

 **WHEW! first time I don't put a break between scene and scene! these scenes are crucial and they're also the reason why it was so hard to write them! I'm sorry it's taken this long! fortunately, I already have a plan written down for the next chapter so it should take less time for me to update this time around. What do you think of the non-appearance of Hinata? What about Naruto, and Sakura? Next chapter we go back to Hiashi, so get ready!**


	16. Eavesdropping

**Welcome again to another chapter! I'm sorry it took so long, considering I had it outlined already! Looking back, I didn't like the last scene from the last chapter, especially the way Sakura cried. I might go back and change it at some point... What did you think of it? I post a little reminder or a sum-up from chapter 15, so your memory is fresh!**

 **We're getting into the thick of things, and people are about to get hurt D: I was very self-conscious while writing this, considering the topic is painful for me, so I'd like your honest opinion! Please leave a review with your thoughts. Look forward to next chapter for a return of Suna and the Royal family and some dangerous situations!**

 **TRIGGER WARNING for a non-consensual, suggestive situation. if you wish to skip this scene, look for the phrase "** Hizashi walked past Neji on his way to the elevator." **and skip until the next break line, beginning with** "Uncle, you're shaking."

 **Previously:**

" _Naruto" she followed him, closing the door. "What happened? Where's Hinata? Didn't your train arrive two hours ago?"_

" _Yes, and gone." He flopped on the sofa, covering his eyes with his arm. "She left me behind at the train station."_

' _All early information points to a kidnapping, as the young girl was found bound and gagged at a townhouse in the center of Wave's only and main city-'_

" _Hinata found her sister, then!" shouted a smiling Naruto, turning to Sakura._

 _She wiped the already leaking tears. "Shouldn't Hinata… She was also missing…"_

' _Hinata… what am I supposed to do with this…?'_

* * *

As Naruto arrived at Sakura's apartment, a man who was standing next to his desk was eavesdropping on somebody else's phone call.

Hiashi held the receiver close to his ear, the knuckles on his left hand a white color Hizashi had never seen before in his life.

He figured he could hardly blame him. Few people could be waiting to listen to what he was listening on the other side of the line.

Hizashi crossed eyes with his older brother for a fraction of a second and turned to look at a painting on Hiashi's neat monochrome office's right wall.

In the corner of his eye, Hiashi became only a silhouette against the bright sunlight coming in from the full windows. A shadow he pitied.

The click of the door opening interrupted his musings. Hizashi turned to face his son, Neji, standing in the doorframe.

"Father. Hanabi has been recovered successfully. Uncle must come to the police station for Hanabi's statement…" Neji took one look at Hiashi and back to his own father, the slightest hint of puzzlement in his eyes.

Hizashi shook his head, advising Neji not to say anything else, and guided his son gently outside the office, shutting the door behind them.

"What's wrong, father?"

"Neji," began Hizashi. "I'll take your uncle's place at the police station. For now, remain here, and wait for his instructions."

"But father," interrupted Neji.

"As soon as he's capable of listening, or he asks about Hanabi, let him know I'm taking care of her." He added, placing one of his hands in Neji's shoulder, attempting to comfort him.

Neji stared back at him wordlessly, his gaze unwavering, demanding answers.

Hizashi sighed. "Your uncle is listening to Hinata through a call, and recording it all for evidence."

The younger man frowned. "What does it matter? Unless…" pure horror filled those transparent eyes of his, and Neji found himself too choked up to protest.

A deep, dark sorrow fell over Hizashi's face. "You know, she can be very stubborn when she wants to be." He opened the door for him. "Wait with him, Neji. We don't know what might happen."

Hizashi walked past Neji on his way to the elevator.

* * *

By now, Naruto-kun would be at Sakura's already, right?

She looked out to the ever-expanding fields. She'd been seeing the same views for at least half an hour now. Hinata tried to swallow, but the dryness in her mouth wouldn't let her. Looking at the car's clock, she would guess they'd left the brownstone around two hours ago. She hadn't exactly timed her perfect plan.

She tried to breathe deep enough to calm herself but not deep enough that he might notice her movements and take them as a sign.

He'd been stealing glances at her now and again, in a drunken haze he'd put himself into in celebration.

Hinata closed her eyes. She hoped they had gotten Hanabi back already. She hoped Hanabi was safe.

"It won't be long now, dearest." He smiled, attempting to look charming. "We'll get there soon."

Hinata stiffened when she felt his right hand sliding up her leg. She let out a shaky breath when he raised his hand to put it on the steering wheel.

"I still can't believe your family would be so eager to get back your little sister, that they'd turn you in, hands tied and all," He whispered sorrowfully. "They're throwing the main course away for the scraps. I also thought twice about whether I should have her too," He chuckled at Hinata's horrified gaze. "Don't worry, I didn't. You've grown quite a bit since then, which is a shame, but I still favor you above others." He reached towards her, caressing her duct tape covered lips. "It's her attitude that's lacking." He frowned and ripped the duct tape from her face, smiling, ecstatic at her whimper. "there we go."

She felt tears falling grudgingly down her cheeks, the air conditioner cold on her face.

"Now be good," he threatened playfully. "I do have this with me" he raised the gun he held in his left hand, pretending to point at her.

Hinata tried to settle her shaking lungs. "W-where are we going?"

"Somewhere they won't find us. We'll be together again. I've waited for so long" His smile disappeared. "Too long."

"They'll definitely find us. And they'll get you. You won't hurt me anymore."

Ootsutsuki frowned. "You've grown a bit too bold, haven't you? That won't do. I think I need to remind you, I'm the only man that's ever loved you." He used the gun's barrel to caress her leg. Going up, way too far. "Hinata, I was the first man inside you, wasn't I?"

Hinata closed her eyes to stop the images, but with the darkness, the image's quality became clearer and clearer, accompanying sounds and senses.

 _'Shhh. Don't think about it.'_

 _Hinata… you like me, right? Wanna play a game? Only big girls can play though…_

 _'Don't think about it. Don't think.'_

Hinata squeezed her legs together and lowered her tied hands, attempting to keep the intruder out.

 _'Don't think, don't think, don't think'_

Ootsutsuki clicked his tongue. "So you do remember! Hopefully, no-one's been inside you since then." He stopped touching her, and she thanked the heavens. "I always know when someone's trespassed on my property."

 _'Don't think, DON'T THINK.'_

* * *

"Uncle, you're shaking."

Hiashi's head snapped up, his eyes ripping away from the blinking light of the recording button in his phone set, looking at Neji approach. He let out a shaky breath. "Neji…"

Neji took one look at his uncle's eyes and took the phone from him, and the weight of the painful call. He hesitated before putting the receiver back in his ear.

Hinata's voice came out from the other side of the line. "Where are we?"

There was a brief silence, and the sound of car doors opening and closing.

Hinata repeated. "Where are we? I-is that the beach, I see?"

There were a subtle whimper, the sound of yet another car door, and a dragging sound.

"Why are you so chatty all of a sudden?" answered the voice of a man. That man.

"I-I'm just curious… i-isn't that Peak Asako?"

"Give me your hands." The man said, an old calm creeping into his voice. When Hinata didn't answer, he repeated, sounding much more irritating "Your hands, Hinata."

Hinata's voice was dripping with desperation. "Peak Asako! It's near, probably half-"

Her voice was interrupted by smacking sound, and the call ended suddenly.

Neji hung up, his hand resting on the receiver, not quite ready to let go, his eyes downcast as he unclicked the recording button with his other hand. He turned to look at Hiashi. "Uncle… Peak Asako."

Hiashi nodded, and took out his personal phone, dialing the number of the police officer in charge.

They picked up quickly. "This is Matsumoto." Typing sounds could be heard, people were talking in the background.

Hiashi thanked Neji with a nod and turned again. "This is Hyuuga Hizashi. My brother is on the way to the station. We lost communication with my niece, but she was able to give us a reference. You are tailing them, aren't you?"

"Yes. I have officers Mori and Takada around five minutes behind." Grumbled Matsumoto. "What information do you have for us?"

"She referenced Peak Asako, and being able to see the beach, but she couldn't elaborate."

"Right. I'll pass the information along. Thank you for your cooperation."

Hiashi could hear papers shuffling "Matsumoto-san."

"Yes, Hizashi-san…?" said Matsumoto, impatiently.

Hiashi took a deep breath. "Please get her back."

Neji watched as his uncle ended the call and rested his hands on the desk, his hands turning red from the effort of carrying his weight. He said nothing, but as he left the room, he couldn't help but feel that his uncle had never looked quite so pitiful.

* * *

Hanabi tapped her fingers on the cold metal table, looking at the door expectantly.

The room was unwelcoming, and they must surely be watching her, either through the camera in the far-right corner of the brightly lit, monotone room, or through the most certainly fake mirror that faced her.

The officers had left her alone a good half-hour before, and she was just about ready to get all this over with. Give her statement and see her sister.

Her eyes settled on the red marks on her wrist, and she shuddered, not quite ready to bring back those awful memories more than the once she'd need to recount her story.

The door opened, and she started to rise, her hands flat against the table, but who she saw entering made her stop in her tracks.

"Hanabi," the long-haired man almost whispered, opening his arms.

She felt more than inclined to take the offer of comfort, as she slipped easily into her uncle's arms.

As she was about to ask about her father, Hizashi hid his face in the top of her messy hair. "My daughter."

Hanabi made no caution to conceal her puzzled reaction since she knew her uncle was hiding her face. _'So, father sent uncle to pick me up… why?_ '

They separated, Hanabi sitting back down, staring at Hizashi while he walked around the table to sit in front of her. "Why did it take so long to find me?"

Hizashi frowned, puzzled, as he sat down, "We had no idea where you were, Hanabi." His hand interlaced with the other, resting on his lap.

Hanabi frowned too, but her frown was more exasperated than confused, leaning over to hiss at him. "Please don't lie to me. When Hinata gave me the earrings, she said…" she trailed off, her eyes unfocused.

Hizashi raised a single eyebrow, prompting her to continue.

Hanabi blinked, "She said… that the family would be able to locate me… I…" she looked dazed again. "I was angry that she'd leave for university, so she…" She looked around the room, attempting to get answers from her elder sister. Where was she anyway?

She would have found her by now. Nothing would stop Hinata from protecting her. She'd be here, comforting her, forgiving her. That much Hanabi knew.

The horrible realization that she hadn't seen Hinata once since she'd woken up lit up her brain like a wildfire, dangerous and suffocating.

Hizashi leaned forward, his hands uncoiling and searching for her, but Hanabi had already put hers on her face and started to shake, her eyes opened wide against the forced darkness, intending to look beyond distance and time, and find her sister.

When nothing happened, the sobs began.


	17. The End

**Hi guys.**

I'm aware it's been a long time since I wrote for this story.

When I started all I wanted to do was share a cute story, but my brain kept firing off ideas here and there that I never managed to merge properly.

After getting some... comments, I was left stumped.

At first I was apologetic, but then the more time that went on the more pissed off I got. I was trying to write a story to work through some problems. I was writing a story for myself, to share with you. It was never written for you.

needless to say, after getting those comments I was completely turned off by this story. I don't need to write it. I already know how it ends, and how it starts and everything that came before and everything that comes after, but at the moment I find myself unprepared to keep sharing it with you.

So here's me formally apologizing to those loyal readers that might still be wondering what happened to this story, but I find that I can't continue writing it for the time being (and I don't know for how long that will be.)

I of course had the ending, a sequel and a prequel planned, but now I'm not sure I'm going to write it, so I will mark the story as complete for the time-being.

I'm still writing, of course, it's just only for the HTTYD fandom, and I have written 10 chapters for that story since April this year, so if you'd like to see more of my writing you can head on over there; this story is going full-speed.

 **A couple of lines below I will write what happened in the end, for those who still want to know, so if you don't want to be spoiled and prefer to wait for a time that might not come where I'm less sickened at the thought of this story you can easily stop reading now and skip to the point where you see bold letters again.**

 **Again, I'm sorry. Thank you for the good times, and I pity those who didn't give this story the chance it deserved and judged it prematurely. You have nipped it in the bud.**

* * *

We were left with Hinata in hands of Toneri (yes, Hiashi heard about one of the incidents but not who did it), Hanabi is back with her family, resolute to stay a child a bit longer. Naruto storms up to Gaara's palace. Gaara sees Naruto is in need of assistance and ignores the black-out order. The decision they were trying to decide on was whether Gaara (a controversial option) or Kankurou (who def wants nothing to do with being king) would become King of Suna. Gaara was chosen.

Temari and Gaara have a nice bonding moment.

Gaara offers to assist Naruto with finding/reaching Hinata and clearing her name after Naruto explains what Hinata told him. Temari offers to drive back Sakura to her apartment.

Once there, Sasuke knocks on Sakura's door.

From here on, Toneri takes Hinata uphill into the forest, and they struggle (. Hinata manages to free herself once they reach the forest and he's distracted, and gets away from Toneri's grasp. He has a gun and tries to fire at her but she dodges and head-butts him. The bullet grazes her. In his distraction, she kicks him with a cry and he trips and falls back, hitting his nape on a rock and is killed instantly.

The police find Hinata in shock. She is taken back home to Wave.

Gaara helps Naruto reach Wave the next day (he had no money and didn't want to use Hinata's), and Hinata's house, where he is greeted darkly and only let in because Gaara insists on talking to Hiashi (to solve the scandal with the leak of information, remember Hiashi has no idea Naruto exists, althought Neji does and guides him to hinata's room)

Hinata is recovering from the whole thing, reading a book. There's a bandage over her arm where the bullet grazed her.

Naruto gives her back her money and confronts her (softly. Girl just went through a nightmare) and he confesses he was worried sick about her and she can't do these things because he wants her in his life.

Hinata apologizes. They catch up. They make each other laugh. Neji is listening in, his initial hesitance gone.

Sakura lets Sasuke in after much hesitation. She's pissed off and they talk things through.

"Naruto won't believe that after all this time you just showed up like this."

"Well, he seems like he has better things to do now."

Sasuke and Sakura agree on renewing their friendship first and take things slow. He has a lot to make up for.

As the time goes on, many things happen:

Hiashi hasn't talked to her since the first time after she came back.

Hinata confesses what happened with Toneri. All of it. Hiashi says that the worst misfortune is that she was born to the family. "I'll let you do whatever you please. I won't interfere from now on, so please be happy."

Hinata is speechless.

Hinata and Naruto stay in touch (they phone often and for a long time), Gaara offering a loan so Naruto can keep studying, that Naruto accepts under the pressure of literally everyone in his life, but keeps calling Hinata on the pretext of needing help with his homework)

Shikamaru and Temari elope. They're not sure why anyone's still shocked they'd do that.

"YOU ELOPED!?"

Sakura and Sasuke are sitting next to eachother, in front of ST.

Temari and Shikamaru shrug. Temari is nonchalant, but Shikamaru looks bored as always.

"I was bored, and she was irritable."

Temari sips from her drink. "Having the media on to you has never given me a good mood."

Sakura is quiet for a minute, then starts to laugh.

S&T are both puzzled.

"It's just, I keep thinking on the whooping your mother's going to give to you, Shikamaru!"

S looks annoyed, T starts to laugh with Sakura.

As they say goodbye, Temari turns to Shikamaru.

"Imagine if we'd told her i was pregnant!"

Shikamaru *pausing*: are you?

Temari: just entertaining my imagination.

Shikamaru frowns: "Such a drag."

In march, As she exits into the arrivals section, finally joining Naruto in Leaf, he is waiting for her.

He takes the other suitcase, and offering his hand, he says "Welcome home!", finishing with a sincere and slightly vulnerable smile.

Hinata takes it, blushing and answers "I'm home"

Hinata joins his University in leaf, focusing on the arts like she's always wanted. She's not the best yet (not a lot of practice in her life) but she loves it. She goes to therapy sesions.

They slowly come together and naturally start dating. You have to keep in mind this story was never only about their romance.

* * *

 **There you go. The road back home.**

 **The sequel (Home) was about how they manage dating and university, and their inner demons and about Sasuke learning to be more open and just a better friend to everyone in his life.**

 **The prequel (Setting Sun) was focused on how Shikamaru and Temari met and got together.**

 **I'm sorry again. Maybe one day I'll write it well enough that it can't be criticized, but that day is not today.**


End file.
